Mobilizing Women Globally for Peace in Korea

May 2015 DMZ crossing

In May 2015, on the 70th anniversary of Korea’s division into two separate states by cold war powers, thirty international women peacemakers from around the world walked with thousands of Korean women, north and south, to call for an end to the Korean War, reunification of families and women’s leadership in the peace process. We held international peace symposiums in Pyongyang and Seoul where we listened to Korean women and shared our experiences and ideas of mobilizing women to bring an end to war and violent conflict. On May 24, International Women’s Day for Peace and Disarmament, we successfully crossed the 2-mile wide De-Militarized Zone (DMZ) that separates millions of Korean families as a symbolic act of peace.

Since our historic crossing, we have continued our journey to mobilize women globally for peace in Korea. We seek to do this by…

Raising global awareness about the urgent need for peace in Korea
Expanding and deepening relationships among women leaders and organizations in North and South Korea and globally
Promoting women’s leadership in peace-building processes on the Korean peninsula and region
Building capacity and partnerships for greater impact and sustainability

2020 Women-led

Korea Peace Treaty Campaign

NOVO Foundation: Radical Hope Fund

The NoVo Foundation chose Women Cross DMZ, Nobel Women’s Initiative and PeaceWomen for a $2 million dollar grant supporting the launch of our 2020 Women-led Korea Peace Treaty campaign. Over a thousand organizations applied. We are honored and grateful for their support and solidarity.

“In 2015 when thirty women leaders from around the world formed Women Cross DMZ — and actually got permission from North Korea, South Korea and the US to cross that land-mined and desolate strip dividing Korea — it was a radical act of the imagination. Now, the Novo Radical Hope Fund has contributed $2 million to this peace effort, and leaders on all sides are running to catch up with their followers.”

– Gloria Steinem, June 2018

#WomenPeaceKorea: A New Era

May 23–27, 2018

On May 23-27 we traveled to Korea for the #WomenPeaceKorea: A New Era Delegation of thirty women peacemakers from sixteen countries to support the historic peace process unfolding in Korea.

In partnership with the Nobel Women’s Initiative and Women’s Peace Walk (SK), we strategized with Korean women on how to ensure women’s inclusion in the official peace process, convened an all-women’s symposium at the Republic of Korea National Assembly, met with key South Korean officials and the foreign diplomatic community, and walked along the DMZ calling for a Peace Treaty in a historic crossing of the Reunification Bridge.

Learn more about our journey…