YWCA USA and World YWCA Statement on the USA’s Military Incursion into Venezuela

As a member of the global YWCA movement, YWCA USA will continue to work with and for YWCA organizations worldwide to advance peace, justice, and freedom over the long term—especially for women, children, and the most vulnerable, who bear the heaviest burdens of conflict. This commitment is guided by the collective strength of YWCA leaders’ voices and by an unwavering conviction that the safety, dignity, and rights of those most exposed to violence and instability must be protected. It is further grounded in the recognition that international law—while imperfect—embodies principles designed to safeguard civilian lives and hold power to account.

Casey Harden, World YWCA CEO and General Secretary, affirms: “International law must serve as a compass, consistently guiding decisions toward the immediate and long-term interests of all people, while holding those in power accountable when they seek to abuse that power for the benefit of a few.”

Margaret Mitchell, YWCA USA CEO, adds: “We condemn—in the strongest possible terms—any action that violates fundamental human rights. We amplify an urgent call for peace-making, diplomacy, and accountability—because it is women, children, and marginalized communities who suffer first and longest when these principles are ignored.”

We therefore call on all those involved in the United States’ military interference in Venezuela to immediately pursue a course correction and to take concrete action to mitigate, to the fullest extent possible, the harm already inflicted—harm that has destabilized families, disrupted access to food, healthcare, and education, and placed women and children at heightened risk of violence and exploitation.

Any credible path forward must be rooted in explicit, tangible, proactive, and forthright compassion—compassion that confronts the realities of conflict and war without evasion and advances meaningful, lasting solutions for peace. These solutions must prioritize the lived realities of women and children and ensure that recovery and security are not reserved for those in positions of power, but extend to all people affected.

Guided by the strength of our collective voices, World YWCA and YWCA USA will continue to stand with sister organizations around the world to dismantle oppression, demand justice, unleash freedom, preserve dignity, and secure lasting peace for current and future generations.

We reject the alternative. We reject any norm that further erodes international law and leaves women and children unprotected in times of crisis.

For more than 160 years, YWCA USA, World YWCA, and our sister associations worldwide have worked relentlessly to empower women and children, advance human rights, embrace difference and diversity, and improve quality of life—regardless of identity or geography—especially in the face of war and conflict within and among nations across the globe.

To learn more about YWCA USA or World YWCA,  and how to follow and support their ongoing advocacy, campaigns and programming, visit YWCA USA at (https://www.ywca.org) and World YWCA at (https://www.worldywca.org), to access key resources and find out ways to be part of our collective action for peace and justice worldwide.