LETTER FROM THE CHAIR

Epic Fury

Well, he finally got something right. 

Epic fury just about sums it up. But while he is clearly delighted that something in his ersatz government actually works - with deadly precision - this war may finally be the bridge too far for many Americans. Not the racism or the misogyny, not the violence against our own citizens and guests of our country, nor the grift or the treason, nor the flagrant disregard for the rule of lawn, nor the abhorrent disrespect for people who have just passed - it may once again come down to the price of gas. 

Sigh. Whether we trace the breakdown in our moral fabric to endless scrolling, or blame decades of Republican rule or Rupert Murdoch, or flip to the other side and point to immigrants or trans people or the breakdown of the family and Church - everyone will agree we are at a divide. And I am - not afraid to say - epically pissed.

I will always believe that many of our ills stem in no small part from the ways men view and define women. Everywhere and forever. While Jeffrey Epstein may be the perfect villain for these times, we know the abuse and trafficking of women and little girls neither started nor stopped with him. And while that’s all disgusting on its own, this is a far bigger story about power and, for lack of a better word, the patriarchy. It’s not just the United States, and it’s not just authoritarian systems. And it certainly isn’t just the white manosphere. 

Project 2026 is the latest horrific, insulting assault on women. They are working hard to strip us of our freedoms, and now with the SAVE act, they want to erode our right to vote, which is our greatest power. They are finally saying the quiet part out loud, seemingly with complete impunity. But we will not stand for it.

Women, hear me when I say this: we were built for this moment. Let’s start to view our collective history as one of strength, expansion and fortitude. Let’s celebrate the women who defied the odds - Joan of Arc, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Eleanor Roosevelt, Shirley Chisholm, Ruth Ginsberg, Hillary Clinton, AOC, Jasmine Crocket, Letitia James and Michelle Obama. It’s not just women in politics. We have Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Misty Copeland, Katheryn Bigelow and so many more. Maybe even your own mom, grandmother, sister, aunt or best friend.

Women have endured so much - and yet, we persist. See yourselves in women you admire and channel their audacity. 

We are the way out of this mess. I 100% believe this. Yes, we have a few duds - many of whom are working for this awful regime. But for each of them, we are a thousand with the capacity for goodness, warrior strength and grace. I am continually humbled by your awesomeness. Please join the Global Women’s Caucus and help us right this ship. Together, we are unstoppable.

Epic fury? Hell yeah.

Nolite te bastardes carborundorum

Sally DeSipio
Chair, Global Women’s Caucus
[email protected]

REQUEST YOUR BALLOT

This is not an idle request - this is an imperative. The Supreme Court will soon hear a challenge to Mississippi’s counting of mail-in ballots received after Election Day – a case that could upend mail-in ballot rules in dozens of states, creating chaos leading up to the midterms. In case you are confused, the potential implications of this are bad. So, you need to register and request your ballot today. And when you receive it, you need to fight that urge to procrastinate, and return it immediately. Remember: you must request your ballot every calendar year.

GWC SCAVENGER HUNTS

Yes, you read that correctly. Like many, we were inspired by the Mamdani campaign. You may have heard about the city-wide scavenger hunt that engaged thousands of New Yorkers to roam the five boroughs and helped spread the infectious, joyful spirit of community. 

We are now doing our own version of this in major cities around the world, with the important mission of getting U.S. citizens registered to vote. 

• So far, Milan, Barcelona and Paris are scheduled in June. If you live in one of these cities and would like to participate in the planning the event, reach out. 
• If you live in or near Amsterdam, Oslo, Brussels, Berlin or Porto. please reach out. We are working on activating those cities as well.

If you are just interested in learning more, please email us!

VOLUNTEERS

We love our volunteers, and we especially love creating together. If you are dispirited because of the news, if you love the idea of channeling your anger into creative expression, if you are compelled to do something and just don’t know where to plug in, please join the team.

Specifically we need:

Graphic Designers: We have a great brand; help us execute. It helps if you work in Canva.

Project Managers: If you are organized, and have a talent for keeping teams on track, please join us!

Tech Genius Needed! Do you have experience with app development? We’re looking for a volunteer to help create simple digital solutions for our team; in addition we’re seeking someone with experience or comfort in hosting Zoom webinars.

Content Creators: Video content helps us to reach more people. If you’re comfortable turning the camera on yourself, please reach out.

Social Media Manager: We have a lot of platforms. Please join our comms team because many hands mean light work.

Volunteer Coordinator: Got people skills? Help us follow up with our many volunteers to help plug them into the work.

Fundraising Coordinator: We have several ideas in the works that require a steady hand to oversee. No experience with fundraising necessary!

Phone bankers: We have a lot of voters to reach around the world. We know these touch campaigns work, and training is available!

EVENTS

FACEBOOK LIVE: We have two Facebook Live events scheduled for April. If you are interested in learning more about two key caucuses, please join us for important discussions about issues that matter.

• April 2, 7pm CET / 1pm ET: ProDA and the GWC. The Progressive and Global Women’s Caucuses will explore healthcare for all, defending democracy and of course, the war economy.  RSVP here
  
  
• April 28, 5pm CET / 11am ET: ECCC and the GWC. The Environment & Climate Crisis Council and GWC will convene to discuss one of the most important existential crises that we face: the changing climate.  RSVP here

Books Abroad - April 26, 4pm CET / 10am ET. This month, join us to read (or reread) Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. In light of Jeffrey Epstein's horrors and the pedophiliac culture, reading and discussing Lolita anew can be an instructive and interesting adventure. Epstein kept a first edition of Lolita in one of his mansions and named his private plane after the girl Humbert groomed and raped. Regardless of Epstein's apparent identification with Humbert, he more closely can be identified with the Marquis de Sade.

RSVP here

Thank you for your interest in Books Abroad, the feminist book club led by the Global Women’s Caucus. To help you stay informed of our bookish happenings, we are pleased to offer you the option to sign up to receive event-specific emails two weeks prior to each Books Abroad virtual gathering.

Please opt in via the “Sign Me Up!” button.

SOCIAL MEDIA

We appreciate all of you. Please follow us on social media to stay alert.

Contact the Global Women's Caucus:  [email protected]