Dear WILPF US members,

I know so many of you showed up strong and loud at your local No Kings: what a weekend of resistance! At the rally I attended, a man came by with his No War in Iran sign (pictured above). He used it to protest the Iraq war in 2003 and swapped the Q with N to protest the Iran war today. The anti-war and No Kings messages were serious, yet there was also music, donuts, kids and dogs. The energy and feeling of unbreakable community was almost joyful.

That said, as war rages around us, I know it’s easy to feel fatigued. To stay focused, I keep close the words WILPF member Judith McDaniel shared at our School of Peace & Freedom earlier this month:

“Remember who we’re showing up for. We’re showing up for our friends, our neighbors, fellow humans. We’re advocating for justice. We’re resisting fascism. We’re shaping our understanding of human rights. These have been the foundations of WILPF as an organization.”

Who are you showing up for?

I’m showing up for my immigrant parents, my stepson, his boyfriend, my husband, my friends, and all of you, my fellow WILPF women.

In fact, this month was my one-year anniversary at WILPF. I look back at the past year, and I am overwhelmed with abundance by how far we’ve come together:



• We continue to build a culture of care into our work.
• We re-envisioned WILPF for the future with clear values like courageous truth-telling, sisterhood and solidarity.
• We launched ambitious campaigns such as Peace is/Peace is Not. To take back the narrative on how the Administration is defining peace. Because Peace is Not War.
• 70 new people joined WILPF US across the country in the past three months. As our movement grows, our power to act grows.
• Together, we’re co-creating innovative ways of mobilizing and lifting each other up; for example, through the School of Peace & Freedom and Crafting Justice.

As we rebuild our movement, we find ourselves “building the plane while flying it” so to speak. Simultaneously building and mobilizing more. Knowing that we must keep our foot on the gas: now, for the next three years of the Administration, and after – to prevent more war, to protect our democracy.

On the latter, please save this date: Wednesday, April 29 at 4 PT / 7 ET, when WILPF US will host an extra special event to launch a national WILPF campaign. Stay tuned for more details!

In the meantime, it’s my pleasure to share with you highlights of the past 30 days. Thank you for continuing to make WILPF US your activist home. I hope that my update this month brings you hope, and that you always know you have community at WILPF.

Mobilizing for social justice at the UN Commission on the Status of Women

The UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) convened in New York this month under the theme “access to justice.” Yet a stark contradiction emerged: U.S. travel bans systematically excluded feminists from conflict zones and the Global South. Women from over 40 countries were unable to secure visas to participate, even as the US has withdrawn from more than 60 international agreements. WILPF International has issued a statement examining how movements are challenging the legitimacy of global convenings that silence the very voices they aim to uplift.

WILPF has held permanent status at the UN since 1948, yet several of our WILPF sisters were unable to attend CSW this year. WILPF US was grateful to participate with a small delegation through our Local to Global and Practicum programs. Our Cuba & Bolivarian Alliance Issue Committee also convened a parallel event, Defending Cuban Women’s Model Healthcare: End the U.S. Economic Blockade. Our CSW organizing committee will share further updates following their debrief.

During CSW, I also hosted a side event, The Social Justice Spectrum: Where Do I Stand and How Do I Have the Most Impact?—a question many of us are asking. I asked our panelists (pictured above) —Jordan Zaslow (Her Bold Move), Genevieve Riccoboni (WILPF International), myself, and King Downing (AFSC)—how they are showing up now, how they navigate roles across the movement, and what enables them to sustain the work. There were many insights. A few that stayed with me:

“I work to get women elected to office, so I get a lot of hate. For my mental health, I limit myself to 15 minutes of Instagram a day.” — Jordan Zaslow

“As WILPF International’s Women, Peace & Security Officer, I intentionally take myself out of my normal environment…to be a bridge between our members and global partners.” — Genevieve Riccoboni

“I taught a Know Your Rights session to second graders. Relevance and framing matters. So, I said: What if someone took away your crayons…That’s your right to free speech. They made signs asking for more crayons, and a longer recess.” — King Downing

These reflections reinforced the importance of focus, connection, and meeting people where they are. And to remember who I’m showing up for.

Crafting Justice: Gaza Memorial Quilt

The genocide in Gaza continues. WILPF US is an activist home for those who wish to mobilize in solidarity with Gaza. We are also a home for aspiring creatives, artivists and craftivists.

I invite all WILPF members and allies to co-create a national art piece by sending in fabric tiles for inclusion in a social justice quilt. It will be designed by Gazan artist Taimaa Salamaa, assembled by artists in Detroit, and displayed in Detroit and other locations in the US – reflecting the intersectional nature of oppression and the power of art as a form of resistance.

The Crafting Justice: Gaza Memorial Quilt is a partnership between WILPF US and City of Asylum/Detroit, a non-profit which provides safe-haven fellowships for writers and artists forced into exile. Join us in this collective quilt project to memorialize the Gaza genocide. No experience is needed — just your willingness to add your piece, raise awareness, and stand in solidarity:



• Register to participate by April 11 here.
• Participate in the virtual workshop with Taimaa on April 12 or view Taimaa’s online video tutorial (both optional).
• Mail your quilt tile by May 1.

Invite your friends and community networks to join too. The more creatives, craftivists and artivists that come together, the greater our collective impact.

Our movement is growing, and our power to act

70 new members joined WILPF over the past 3 months. Welcome to all our new WILPF members! Thank you for choosing WILPF to be your activist home.

There are many reasons why growing WILPF now matters: stronger resistance to authoritarianism, more voices shaping justice and peace, and a deeper, more resilient feminist movement. I encourage you to invite someone new to join WILPF US. Help grow our movement at this moment when democracy, human rights and peace urgently need defenders.

Our members are amazing humans. Meet Tucson member Emily Ricketts who has been organizing for decades and Young WILPF US member Heather Vogler in Mesa; they’re both passionate about voting access and reform. I was proud to mobilize at No Kings 3 with WILPF Seattle activist and artivist Jan Edwards (pictured above). WILPF members in Greater Philadelphia have been pushing back against ICE. The Peninsula/Palo Alto branch participated in Global Days of Action to close military bases. And the Women, Money & Democracy issue committee hosted a series of Money Matters webinars to examine the monetary system and what’s needed for reform. There is so much knowledge and lived experience that we carry within WILPF; we are each other’s greatest resource.

Across the country, we range in age from 19 to 109 years old. We are increasing in diversity and leadership. Our members include social justice warriors who have been doing the work for decades mobilizing alongside members who are new to organizing. It’s beautiful to see this cross-generational power building in action – as we push back together against authoritarianism, militarization of our communities, war in Iran, genocide in Gaza, and more.

While we remain anti-war at our roots, our increasing diversity comes with different points of view. Some members want to change the existing system of patriarchy; some want to replace it with something new because they believe it’s broken beyond repair. Others want to call out the manosphere and cadre of rich men running the country. While others have observed seeing changes in WILPF – in good ways and sometimes uncomfortable ways – and that is exactly on point. WILPF is adapting and responding to current member and movement needs. We are honoring our existing wisdom and welcoming new ways of thinking and doing. That's us building cross-generational power together.

By the way, last year, San Jose member Judith Auth hosted a friend-raiser where she convened a group of friends in Zoom and I introduced WILPF with an invitation to join our work. Last month, New York members Blanche Wiesen Cook and Laura Shapiro Kramer hosted a friend-raiser in Laura’s home during which I shared WILPF news and action updates. A number of these wonderful people have since joined WILPF – another example of how our movement is growing. I invite you to consider hosting a friend-raiser too, in Zoom or in your home. I’d love to join. You are important to me, and your community is important to me. I will always prioritize participating in your friend-raisers and community convenings if you’ll have me.

Knowledge is power

In response to these tumultuous times, WILPF US launched the School of Peace & Freedom—a quarterly national virtual teach-in designed to equip our community with the knowledge and tools we need to organize in new ways, and tried and true ways, as we continue to face heightened repression.

The inaugural session was a high impact gathering, covering essential topics including Know Your Rights, the role of legal observers, lessons from trailblazing women leaders, and strategies for cross-generational power building. I invite you to view the event recording here and Know Your Rights slides here. Notably, more than 30% of participants were new to WILPF. When we offer timely, actionable learning, people show up. Because knowledge is power.

The session grounded participants in practical guidance and movement context. As Dr. Judith McDaniel, International Human Rights Lawyer, emphasized, “We can reduce risks, but that does not guarantee safety,” underscoring the importance of preparation, awareness, and collective care in these times.

Equally powerful were reflections from our speakers across generations. Sofia Farah from Mondoweiss spoke to the importance of acting even in uncertainty: “We’re working towards a future we might not see, but it’s important for us to do it.” Meanwhile, Young WILPF US member and anti-human trafficking advocate, Isabel Belmonte, reflected on how proximity to injustice transforms action: “It’s different when you’re asking if the person next to you has a safe place to sleep or their next meal; that proximity changes how and what you advocate for.”

A core theme throughout the session was the importance of grounding our work in both local action and global awareness. As participants reflected: our struggles are interconnected—from Palestine to Sudan to communities across the US—yet effective organizing requires focus: choosing where we can act, while understanding the systems that link our work.

The School of Peace & Freedom is just getting started. I invite you to join us for future sessions, as we continue to build power across generations. Also remember that WILPF campaign resources are always available to you such as our Peace is Not War campaign signs, graphics and more.

New WILPF website and calendar

As part of WILPF US’s re-envisioning process, we launched our new website last month. I hope you’ve had time to take a spin through our new digital home. If not, I’m happy to take you for a short tour now. When people visit wilpfus.org, we wanted it to be immediately clear who we are and what we do, i.e., WILPF US is feminist and fearless, for peace. We’re taking bold actions right now with multiple pathways for people to mobilize with us. And we’re grounded in our anti-war legacy of 110 years of resistance.

Built with feedback from member focus groups and non-member focus groups, the website serves two purposes: 1) a place people can go who are new to WILPF to learn about us and ways to get involved and 2) a central location for members to access WILPF news and resources.

Speaking of member resources, I'm happy to spotlight WILPF US's new national calendar at this webpage (scroll halfway down the webpage to view the calendar). If you wish to submit an event or meeting, please use this form. The event or meeting must be led, or co-led, by WILPF/WILPF members to be included in the calendar. 

Our new website is a dynamic, evolving platform. We will continue to update and improve it as we respond to the needs of our WILPF community—and to those visiting for the first time, seeking information and a potential activist home.

WILPF network news

🗓️ April 11: Deadline to register to participate in WILPF’s Crafting Justice: Gaza Memorial Quilt Project. Learn more and register here.

🗓️ April 29 at 4 PT / 7 ET: Save the date! WILPF US will host a special event to launch a national WILPF US campaign. Stay tuned for more details.

Wise words from WILPF members and allies

I believe in the wisdom of the crowd, so I continue to seek insights from WILPF US members and allies. Here are some of the wise and inspiring words I’ve recently heard.

“Don’t fight the fear. Show up despite it. Show up with it. Let it fuel you.” – Sofia Farah, Palestine Advocate & Development Director at Mondoweiss

“The idea of finding a home for my activism really resonated with me, and WILPF feels like such a good fit. Also love that it was founded by fellow social worker Jane Addams!” – Beth Vazquez, new WILPF US member

“When you strip everything down, most people across the aisle want the same things. Stability, dignity, and to feel like someone would notice if they disappeared. Trafficking thrives exactly where sense of community and belonging collapses…Building and sustaining community is essential.” – Isabel Belmonte, Gender & Anti-Human Trafficking Advocate, Young WILPF US member

Take care of yourselves, fearless WILPF women and WILPF allies, and let’s continue to take care of each other.

Linda Low

WILPF US Executive Director

PO Box 13075 | Des Moines, IA 50310 | 617-266-0999

© 2025 Women's International League for Peace and Freedom US

Donate | WILPF US | WILPF International