Specifically Jasmine Crockett, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Jill Tokuda, Grace Napolitano Sylvia Garcia, Val Hoyle, Lisa Blunt Rochester, Sheila Jackson Lee, Frederica Wilson, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Jennifer McClellan, Lori Trahan, Madeleine Dean, Gwen Moore, Suzanne Bonamici, Teresa Leger Fernandez, Yvette Clarke, Nanette Barragan, Andrea Salinas, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Rosa DeLauro, Katie Porter, Grace Meng, and Shontel Brown
Dear Women of the Congressional Progressive Caucus,
We, the undersigned, are writing to you because although you are part of a progressive caucus, you have yet to do the most bare minimum progressive act: call for a ceasefire in Gaza. 26 women in this committee already have—it’s time for the 24 of you to join them.
March 8 is International Women’s Day, a fitting reminder of the thousands of women in Gaza who are being slaughtered, clearly abandoned by women like you who hold positions of power and privilege yet refuse to call for a ceasefire. Many of you will use the discussion of reproductive justice in the US as an opportunity to say you stand with women. Many of you will release statements about IWD, citing your membership to the Congressional Progressive Caucus as evidence of your commitment to progressive advocacy for women, but your inaction tells us the truth.
Your words mean nothing when you fail to center the women of Gaza, who need our attention the most right now. You lose credibility when you fail to demand an end to Israel’s genocide campaign. What is more anti-feminist and less progressive than war? Since the start of Israel’s most recent bombardment, miscarriages in Gaza have gone up 300%. Women are forced to undergo C-sections without anesthesia. Israeli soldiers in the Tal al Zaatar area of Gaza shot at and bulldozed over pregnant women carrying white flags. What significant action have you taken to stop this genocide? None. We will not allow you to continue virtue signaling by simply being part of this caucus. We demand consistency.
This IWD, we call on you to reject traditional Western and colonial “feminist” narratives that have long perpetuated war, occupation, and genocide! War-mongering fuels the oppression, mistreatment, and murder of women around the world. The struggle for reproductive justice and Palestinian liberation are deeply intertwined feminist issues.
Be a real feminist and call for a ceasefire in Gaza. Reproductive justice starts there.
Towards peace and liberation,
CODEPINK staff, chapters, volunteers, and supporters
CODEPINK, along with Mothers and Daughters Against Genocide, will be in the halls of congress on March 8, International Women’s Day, delivering the letter to the specified progressive caucus members.
