GWC May 2026 Newletter: Yes, it's the corruption.

Posted by Andrea Host-Barth
May 04, 2026

Global IT Team, Steering Committee - Global Women's Caucus

LETTER FROM THE CHAIR

It’s the Corruption, stupid.

I am deeply convinced that every issue is a women’s issue. Whether it’s healthcare, the environment, education, tax structure, immigration policy, brazen corruption or wars of choice that are killing children in our name, it all impacts us, our loved ones, or simply our fellow (wo)man.

I refuse to hide my deep resentment and rage at this current government or at the patriarchy writ large. And given that I, along with everyone else, just paid my tax bill amid reports of $2B/day in war costs and a $45B expansion of ICE “detention centers,” my heart is weary. I am enraged that most billionaires pay no such taxes and instead grow stratospherically wealthy by gaming the stock market with insider information or through kleptocratic crypto empires.

When we win - as we must - and take back the reins of power, we cannot forget this. We must demand that the rules change. This reckoning is a very long time coming. We must repeal Citizen’s United which allowed unlimited spending on elections - John Roberts’ original sin. Insider trading by elected officials must be criminalized. We have to enshrine ethical oversight into laws that cannot simply be ignored.

Both parties are at fault, and both parties must be held accountable, to exacting and fully transparent standards. Simply put, power must not be (ab)used for personal gain.

The Founding Fathers and Mothers understood that a healthy democracy depends on an informed populace. This stuff isn’t as juicy as a conspiracy theory, or as validating (I guess) as going viral on TikTok, or as sexy as Heated Rivalry, but it IS one of the core pillars of democracy. And if we’re going to claw our way back - as we will - we need to be fully armed with the knowledge of what went wrong and how it happened, to ensure it gets fixed and NEVER happens again.

Our kids deserve it.

Request your 2026 ballot. Then tell three (or thirty) friends.

Yes, we can.

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

Nolite te bastardes carborundorum

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.

Yes.We.Vote
GWC SCAVENGER HUNTS

You know what’s as important as requesting your 2026 ballot? Well, nothing, but you know what’s more fun? Gamifying it.

Taking inspiration from the Mamdani campaign, the Global Women’s Caucus (GWC) is hosting a unique investigative campaign series across cities where Americans live and work and vote from a distance. YES WE VOTE is a team scavenger hunt that uses the streets, squares, and stories of each city to make the case for why your ballot matters. The first five scheduled events will be held in Europe as celebrations of these cities’ rich cultural and historical heritages - often tales of fascism or tyranny boldly met with Resistance. To qualify, participants only need to have requested their 2026 ballot. If you haven’t yet or don't know how, we will have trained volunteers on hand to help you through it. Please RSVP today or write us if you’d like to join the organizing team in your town.

RSVP HERE for these events:

June 6 Milan
June 6 Barcelona
June 13 Paris
June 14 Oslo
July 11 The Hague

If a city’s RSVP is not yet posted, please watch the space as it will be up shortly.

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

RED, WHITE & ZINE - We made a zine!

The midterms are coming, and women’s voices are going to decide the outcome. As part of the Global Women’s Caucus Yes We Can campaign, we are thrilled to release Red, White & Zine—an inspirational guide dedicated to amplifying our shared creativity.

This zine is a creative collaboration between graphic designers, writers, and other thoughtful women with important personal reflections. As with all zines, it’s sub-culture, the ultimate DIY expression meant to share ideas without a gate-keeper.

Buy your copy: Support the campaign for only $5!
Leave it in cafes: Print a few extra copies and leave them on community boards, coffee shop tables, or anywhere folks gather to seek inspiration.

Let's flood our communities with the message that when women vote, we all win. Get your copy today! It’s a fun way to change the game!

EVENTS

GWC Monthly Writing Workshop: BECAUSE WORDS MATTER, the last Thursday of each month, 7-8:30pm CET. For the seasoned writer, the secret writer, the “I’ve-never-written-before” writer—and yes, even the gifted. Writing is freedom. A way to release fear, capture joy, tell truths, share ideas, and connect with others. Words can inspire, heal, challenge, educate, entertain—and sometimes change lives.

Poetry, stories, essays, humor, reflections—bring your voice. This is not about perfection. It’s about expression.

In turbulent times, writing matters more than ever.

RSVP HERE

Facebook Live in May

GWC + AAPI - Two caucuses, one conversation. The Democrats Abroad GWC is sitting down with the Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) Caucus to talk about feeling underrepresented and targeted but showing up anyway.

Racism, discrimination, immigration, representation — These are the issues that hit both our communities and the places where we can fight together.

Join us live on Facebook. May 20, 1pm ET / 7pm CET

RSVP HERE

REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE UPDATE!

The Reproductive Justice team has been hard at work reviewing state legislation on women's choices. We have assembled a summary for your information, which will be updated as legislation evolves. Find it here.

If you are interested in joining our team please contact us.

VOTE AND CHANGE THE LAWS. It starts here: votefromabroad.org

STIRRING THE POT: The Dissident's Kitchen - a Global Feminist Cookbook

We’re creating a cookbook to celebrate women and nourish our stomachs and souls. The inspiration comes from our suffragist ancestors who were told that their place was in the kitchen and not on the streets protesting for the right to vote. They used recipes to communicate resistance, build community and yes, fundraise for the cause.

We’re collecting recipes that hold a story for you, personally. We welcome the recipes that you make, bake, cook, shake, mix or defrost to nourish you and those around you, from the earnest to the tongue-in-cheek.

We also invite you to share the story behind the recipes. All recipes, from dishes to drinks, and stories that hold meaning will be considered.

Sections include:

“I Miss Home” Dishes
Food That Got Me Through a Difficult Time
Discoveries from Living Abroad
The Ancestors: Family Traditions Carried Overseas
You Don’t Know How to Cook? YES. We. Can.

We invite you to fill out this form. We can’t wait to cook things up!

Contact: [email protected]

VOLUNTEERS

We want more volunteers - there’s a ton of work to be done. Here are some specifics:

Co-Head of Comms/Marketing - If you have experience in marketing and social media; or if you have a head for digital strategy, are super organized and great at leading teams - please reach out!! We have a fantastic marketing team, but our lead needs to share the fun. We have ambitious plans.
Volunteer Coordinator - Help organize our many volunteers.
Interviewer - Are you an experienced interviewer for TV or print? We want you.
Content Creator - Like making social media content? Not afraid of being on-camera? We definitely want your skills. We’ve got a lot to say.
Copywriters - We are looking for people who have advertising experience. You think differently, and we like that.
Project Managers - Help us stay organized and on point, please.

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.