YWCA National Capital Area in the USA Celebrates Nobel Peace Prize Winner María Corina Machado

World YWCA celebrates the recognition of courageous, women-led movements for peace, democracy, and human rights through the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, and affirms its commitment to advancing justice and dignity for all. This moment in Oslo is both a global acknowledgement of the struggle for freedom and a powerful reminder of the leadership of women, young women, and girls in transforming communities and building peace.

On 10 December 2025, a representative of the YWCA National Capital Area in the USA (YWCA NCA) joined global leaders and advocates in Oslo, Norway, to witness the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony honouring Venezuelan leader María Corina Machado for her unwavering commitment to democracy and human rights. Machado is among a small number of women laureates in the history of the prize and stands in a long line of women whose courage has reshaped public life, including Narges Mohammadi, Nadia Murad, and Malala Yousafzai.

This recognition speaks directly to the lived realities of the women, young women, and girls that YWCA movements support daily, particularly those facing ongoing conflict, violence and displacement. It affirms that the struggles of women human rights defenders, migrants, and democracy advocates are not isolated, but are part of a shared, global demand for freedom and dignity.

Sarah Davila, from YWCA NCA, was invited to attend the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in recognition of her extensive and impactful community work launching YWCA NCA’s efforts to support immigrant communities in the Washington, DC region. Since the start of the year, Sarah has worked tirelessly helping more than 1,200 women, girls, and families- many of them Venezuelan-  to address the dire impacts of an ongoing political crisis, including family separations and socioeconomic insecurities. Her attendance at the Nobel Peace Prize laureate ceremony and surrounding events was made possible through the generous sponsorship of the Development of Technological Thinking Foundation in recognition of her work with vulnerable immigrant communities.

In early 2025, YWCA NCA, under Sarah’s leadership, launched Legal Protection & Assistance Workshops to provide practical tools on safety planning, custodial power of attorney, and emergency preparedness, enabling families to better protect their loved ones in volatile circumstances. This work is strengthened through partnerships with organisations such as SAMU First Response, the Guatemalan Consulate, and pro bono legal advocates, who are expanding access to protection, information, and support.

This momentous achievement by a woman Nobel Laureate and the tireless work of YWCA leaders like Sarah, reinforce the World YWCA’s commitment to advocate for the advancement of women’s rights and freedoms across all borders and contexts, as demonstrated by the following 2023 World Council statements:

• WOMEN: FOR DECISIVE ACTION FOR WOMEN’S RIGHTS GLOBALLY AND AGAINST THESE ANTI-FEMINIST VOICES: In the past years, rising (political) anti-feminist movements have tried to undermine, suppress or even undo women’s rights and freedoms that have been fought hard for through generations. Therefore, we call for decisive action for women’s rights globally and against these anti-feminist voices. Firstly, women should have equal rights, access to healthcare and education, and be able to choose to exercise their rights to make decisions about their own bodies, sexuality, health, and clothing. This cannot be compromised. Secondly, the international community should prioritise women’s rights. The YWCA should play an active role in the global movement countering anti-feminist backlash. The World YWCA movement will actively engage in educating about feminism to dispel myths and promote gender equality.
• WOMEN: AGAINST FEMICIDE AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN, YOUNG PEOPLE AND GIRLS: In the 21st century, women in Latin America are still vulnerable to sexual violence and murder. The statistics are alarming, and the consequences of this phenomenon are even more devastating: many children are orphaned and remain under the guardianship of the aggressor, who is their own. Further, their lives are submerged in an environment full of violence, and at a young age, they must face and confront the naturalisation of violence; on the other hand, they are condemned to a chain of abuse and rape, where girls must face a complex life enduring sexual violence and unwanted pregnancies. Both phenomena leave their mark on many women and the families they leave behind. This alarming and extremely important phenomenon occurs not only in Latin America but also in other regions of the world. Therefore, it is a duty to work to eliminate femicide and rape.

The YWCA NCA’s mission to empower women and families aligns deeply with Machado’s fight for human rights, dignity, and democratic freedoms. It reflects their ongoing commitment to support immigrant women and families, both locally and globally. By standing alongside movements for democracy and the protection of human rights in Venezuela and around the world, the YWCA NCA in the USA and World YWCA affirm that peace is inseparable from justice and gender equality. The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize ceremony is therefore not only an honour for one leader, but a call to strengthen collective action with and for women, young women, and girls who are creating a more just and peaceful world.