LETTER FROM THE CHAIR
Alone, we are afraid. Together, we are feared.
These are the words from one of Epstein’s victims at the press conference immediately following the near unanimous House vote to release the Epstein files. It has since passed unanimously in the Senate, and after months of attempting every political trick to “move on,” Trump has signed the bill. Of course, he could have ordered the Justice Department to release them all along, and of course, there are countless ways to obscure transparency, but there is still much to celebrate. We must celebrate ALL our wins, AND keep up the fight.
Together, we are a powerful force that can move the most intractable of foes and shift established rules and norms. It is hard to under-estimate what we can do together.
Look no further than the November 4th elections that brought two amazing women to the top position in two states by overwhelming majorities. Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill were elected in part thanks to the turn-out of young women. Turn-out exploded everywhere, with concomitant down-ballot impact.
Look no further than that Epstein presser, where the survivors were joined at the mic with Marjorie Taylor Greene. She and fellow MAGA flag bearers, Lauren Boebart and Nancy Mace, all withstood immense pressure from the White House to rescind their votes. But they refused, improbably choosing women over politics.
We marched for and won the rights to vote and to control our bodies, marched for the still elusive designation of an Equal Rights Amendment (now more at risk than ever), pushed ourselves with the vision of some breakable glass ceiling, shared our #MeToo experiences, and are now collectively heart-broken over Epstein survivor, Virginia Giuffre’s posthumous memoir, Nobody’s Girl. The 20K page drop of Epstein documents that named names is undoubtedly only the tip of the proverbial iceberg of disdain for women held by the world’s most powerful men. And so, the fight is far from won.
And so, we persist.
They wouldn’t work so hard to disenfranchise us if they weren’t afraid of our power, if they weren’t afraid of us waking up. This is what the Epstein survivors meant when they said “together, we are feared.” And so, we grow ever louder.
Women have nurtured our children through millennia, nursed our wounds and kissed away our pain. But we are and always have been the warriors, reigning over a different kind of army, stronger in community, motivated by potential for revolutionary change, fueled by empathy. Collectively, we form the largest and most powerful voting bloc in the United States. While it can be easy to feel we’re simply rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic, I argue there’s no alternative, and no better antidote to fear than becoming the very thing they fear most - empowered women raising our voices to demand change. That’s who we are.
Join the GWC. Help us create the movement for change.
In solidarity,
Sally DeSipio
Chair, GWC
VOLUNTEER: Join us.
Per the above… please consider joining our team. It not only will alleviate your anxiety, you’ll enjoy yourself. We have a lot of fun. We can utilize any skills, experience or interests that you have so don’t be shy. Specifically, we are always seeking:
- Graphic Designers: we are building up a strong team of designers to flood the zone and be everything, everywhere, all at once. Experience on Canva, please.
- Copy Writers: Ditto!
- Content Creators: If you are active or experienced making reels or are active on Tiktok, we can greatly amplify our message.
- Project Managers: If you’re uber-organized and like to organize others, please join us.
- Event Producers: We have ambitious plans for 2026, with monthly Zoom events or more. We love creative brainstorming around what stories we want to tell. We need volunteers who are comfortable with cold contact!
More Volunteer Opportunities!
A few of our caucuses need some leadership assistance. Please consider joining the leadership teams for some of our most critical caucuses: Black, Progressive, Youth, and LGBTQ+. Please contact Steve Nardi at [email protected], if interested.
EVENTS
Please look forward to a busy new year and mark your calendars now to save the dates. Registration links are forthcoming.
Jan 22: Amanda Litman, founder of Run For Something, will talk to us about her new book, When We’re In Charge: The Next Generation’s Guide to Leadership, which she describes on her website as “a no-bullshit guide for the next generation of millennial and Gen Z leaders on how to show up differently, break the cycle of bad boomer leadership, and navigate the changing demands of those in power and the evolving expectations people have of their workplace.” Don’t miss it.
Jan 25: The Cauldron - a monthly drop-in safe space for women of all ages to collaborate, invent, share, conspire and feel. This month’s theme is going to be 250 years of American History. Incidentally, the marker also celebrates 250 years of American Women’s History. Let’s discuss our accomplishments and what we want to fight for this year.
March: Women’s History Month is going to be full of women-centered events and storytelling including a panel discussion on Trad Wives: Rebranding the Patriarchy and a Feminist Hackathon. Stand by for more details.
UNMUTED: Voices without Borders
We want to hear from YOU. If you have something to say (and as women, I’m sure you do!), whether it’s an article, a poem, a letter - or something else - and it expresses what you’re feeling as a woman today, please send it to [email protected].
We are starting a section on our Caucus web page that is devoted TO YOU. If it’s anger at something, especially if you have an idea of how to change it, tell us. If it’s hopeful or beautiful or joyful - share that. It will be curated - we won’t be able to post everything. But your input can help mold our messages, event ideas, and general calls to action.
NEWS READS & LISTENS
The New York Times: The Real Epstein Cover-up - Rachel Louise Snyder - A smart analysis on how the systems in our country are biased towards maintaining the power of men at the expense of women.
The Atlantic Monthly: President Piggy - Sophie Gilbert - if you read nothing else, read this. An excellent encapsulation of the war against women.
NYT: For Women in Economics, the Hostility is out in the Open - Ben Casselman: because all topics seem to lead tangentially to Epstein
Kara Swisher ON: Ken Burns & Sarah Botstein on Finding Hope in America’s Brutal Beginnings - a truly extraordinary interview with one of the great history documentarians and his latest collaboration on the American Revolution.
Nicole Wallace THE BEST PEOPLE: Heather Cox Richardson - Two really amazing women being super smart and super fierce about today’s events. We love us some historians.
Lex McMenamin: Welcome to Woke 2.0 - Lex was the political editor of Teen Vogue who, along with her colleagues, were unceremoniously retired last month when Conde Nast decided to fold it into Vogue Magazine. They were responsible for some of the best political and cultural reporting in media.
FILM: Dear Ms: a Revolution in Print - a STRONG recommend. We wanted to have a global viewing of this film, but the filmmakers never secured international streaming rights, so the best we can do is point you in the right direction. Learn about feminism from the original queens.
PROPUBLICA: Young Girls Were Sexually Abused by a Church Member. They were told to Forgive and Forget
GWC’s Monthly update on the latest in Reproductive Justice - Salli Swartz and Diane Haven
Dr. Carri Baker on Reproductive Justice - If you missed the GWC conversation with Dr. Baker, or you just want to see it again!
Recommended December books:
Nobody’s Girl - Virginia Giufre and Amy Wallace
The Double Tax: How women of color are overcharged and underpaid - Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman
SOCIAL MEDIA
We are all addicted to something - put it to good use. Please follow us on your platform of choice - and feel free to comment, like and share. They can’t suppress us if we overwhelm the algorithm!
