Gisele was an early member of the Westchester Chapter of NOW when the chapter was formed in the early 1970s. Her awareness of discrimination against women and her feminism grew out of her participation in a NOW consciousness raising group. This group led to the formation of the Yonkers Women’s Task Force, of which Gisele was a founder; one of the many accomplishments of the Task Force was the formation of My Sister’s Place, the Yonkers shelter for victims of domestic violence.

Gisele was an activist on the front lines of protecting the right of Westchester women to choose abortion. In the 1970s, she started “abortion coffees” in the County to help erase the stigma facing those who’d had abortions; through these coffees they were able to discuss their experiences in a safe and supportive setting. When an anti-choice Congressman was elected to Congress, she picketed his office to bring attention to his views on the issue. Most notably, she was among the leadership group that protected and defended the right of women to gain entry to the Dobbs Ferry Women’s Health Pavilion when Operation Rescue repeatedly blocked their passage. She and other members of NOW brought this to the attention of the local police and organized escorts who would bring women to the entrance safely. She advocated changing at the federal level the penalties that had been applied to those who blocked passage; these penalties later were upgraded from misdemeanor to felony.

For her pioneering work, she has been recognized by the Westchester NOW chapter numerous times.

“Gisele was a good friend, sister, feminist activist, teacher and mentor impacting the lives of so many Westchester women. She used her feminism and her social work background to organize outreach that will have an enduring legacy in the County. We mourn her and will miss her greatly,” commented NOW past president and friend, Sioux Taylor.

“Westchester NOW has lost a strong woman and a strong voice,” said Arlene Ketchum, NOW Chapter President. “She believed in and fought for a world of compassion and fairness. Her dedication to feminism grew out of this outlook, and over the years she was a steadfast member of our chapter. We send our condolences to her husband Michael and her three children.”

Gisele connected her feminism with her social work. She was a founder of the Women’s Issues Committee of the National Association of Social Workers Westchester Division. At the time of her death she was working on a June program dealing with the issues of women and immigration.

In addition to her awards by NOW, she had been selected by NASW Social Workers of the Year and was honored for her work with My Sister’s Place. She was a part-time staff member employee of the Westchester County Department of Community Mental Health, and was to be honored at their “Summit Day” breakfast to celebrate mental health programs in Mount Vernon.

Arlene Ketchum has announced this year’s NOW annual Summer Solstice gathering will pay tribute to Gisele and invites those who knew her to visit the NOW website for related information.

You can click here to see memorial tributes and photos.

For more information about Westchester NOW, e-mail us at info@westchesternow.org!

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