FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 8, 2023
MEDIA CONTACT: Melissa Garriga | [email protected]
Activists Decorate Congress With Anti-war, Feminist Messages on International Women’s Day
CODEPINK & activists say End War, Peace NOW
WASHINGTON—For International Women’s Day, CODEPINK activists brought the feminist lens for peace, justice & an end to war to the House of Representatives. A large human peace sign formed in the rotunda and a banner demanding “Peace NOW” unfurled from an upper level.
The group human peace sign donned pink parasols while they sang “Give Peace A Chance.”
The action was followed up by office visits to the congressional representative who initially signed the Progressive Caucus letter demanding Presiden Biden pursue a path to negotiations to end the Russia/Ukraine War. The Progressive Caucus retracted their letter.
Today, in honor of International Women’s Day, CODEPINK activists revisited the women signees, pressuring them to once again pursue negotiations and peace.
Olivia DiNucci explains the importance of the action on International Women’s Day: “I’m a feminist calling for an end to war and the addiction to the military industrial complex here at home and abroad on International Women’s Day and every day. We brought a symbol of peace into congress because the warmongering that goes on inside the building needs to be resisted.”
In September 2022, the UN came out with a policy report that highlighted the war in Ukraine’s impact on both the women of Ukraine and around the globe. The report showed that food price hikes that occurred after the war broke out widened the gender gap in food insecurity. Fuel shortages led to homes using less clean energy sources, leading to increased pollution that kills mostly women and children. 37% of women-headed households in Ukraine were likely to be food insecure, compared to only 20% of households headed by men. Women are also seeing ever-increasing rates of sexual exploitation and violence from wars all over the world.
Progressive women of Congress cannot say they defend women’s rights while they simultaneously support war and the war budget. We ask them to stand for women by standing for peace and issuing a call for an end to the war.
This International Women’s Day, CODEPINK stands with women across the world in the feminist demand to end war. Today’s action is a part of multiple actions and educational events across the country. Among the demands is a call on President Biden to fire the undiplomatic diplomat Victoria Nuland.
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