The Playground Bully Grew Up. So Did We.

Sisters,

Close your eyes for a moment. Think back to the first time you stood up to a bully.

Maybe it was on the playground. Maybe it was in a college classroom. Maybe it was in the workplace — someone trying to shame you into doing their dirty work. We’ve all been there. And we know this truth: mean girls and boys don’t disappear when they grow up. They just find bigger stages.

Right now, some of the biggest bullies are on the national stage — changing the rules, moving the finish line, keeping the American public distracted and off-balance. I have empathy for those being pressured, blackmailed, or “encouraged” to go along to get along. I even have empathy for those who have convinced themselves that cozying up to power is survival. As the saying goes, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” We are watching that play out in real time.

But here’s what I cannot let go: most of the elected officials bowing to these pressures were sent to Washington by us — to protect us. To shield us from corporate bullies who price-gouge working families. From those who harm children. From those who poison our air and water. From those who tear immigrant families apart. It is literally written into their oath of office — to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”

That’s not a suggestion. That’s a promise. Hold them to it.

We learned as children that there are two ways to defeat a bully:

There is strength in numbers.

Take away the power the bully thinks they have over you.

💪 Strength in Numbers

Bullies strike when you’re alone. So let’s never be alone.

Sisters, we are one of the most powerful voting blocs in this country. No one gets to the White House — or any elected office — without us. That is not a small thing. That is everything.

So share WE CAN actions with your girlfriends. Invite them in. This week, we’re calling on you to contact your U.S. Senators and make clear: we will not accept anything that makes it harder for Americans to vote. If you haven’t already, read our blog post from last week — Voter Suppression Alert: The SAVE Act Affects You Too — Contact Congress TODAY! — because this affects every single one of us. The SAVE Act would impose unnecessary barriers that could strip millions of eligible Americans — disproportionately women, seniors, and communities of color — of their fundamental right to cast a ballot. Tell them to STOP the SAVE Act — TODAY.

⚡ Take Back Your Power

One of the biggest lies bullies tell is that you have no power. You do.

Sometimes we just need to learn how to use it — and where to aim it. That’s exactly what WE CAN is here for.

Join us for our upcoming Power Hour Trainings to sharpen your advocacy skills and build your confidence. Have a burning policy question? Email us at info@womensequity.org and we’ll add it to our training agenda.

You don’t have to walk these advocacy streets alone. We’ve got you.

Here’s the bottom line, Sisters:

YOU are a Power Broker. YOU can change your community. WE CAN do anything — TOGETHER.