“Because we refuse to behave as if any of this is normal”
Milwaukie resident Emily Waugh and her mother, Amy Peck, are crossing the country on foot to Washington D.C. all the way from Salem, where they began the journey March 29. They want women from all over to join them for this relay-style protest walk to demonstrate for women’s rights and to oppose the Trump administration.
The relay points outlined on their website at womenswalkacrossamerica.com include Boise ID, Salt Lake City UT, Denver CO, Topeka KA, Jefferson City MO, Springfield IL, Indianapolis IN, and Columbus OH. The goal is to reach Washington DC in mid-October.
Safe-to-Join Dates
Safe-to-Join Dates are also provided on the website, as places to join adjust for weekly progress, weather conditions, etc. in the coming months. Here are the ones coming up soon, as the group is still making their way through Oregon:
- WHEN: Thursday, April 9 — 9:00 a.m. departure time
WHERE: Sisters Library, 110 N Cedar St, Sisters OR
GOAL: Redmond (20 miles) - WHEN: Friday, April 10 — 9:00 a.m. departure time
WHERE: Redmond Library, 827 SW Deschutes Ave, Redmond OR
GOAL: Prineville (19 miles)
See more about the route on the website’s Route Details page. They also have a signup page to join the walk with a separate signup form for volunteering to help with food, shelter, etc.
“I wanted to walk out the front door and keep walking”
Emily Waugh was motivated to start this demonstration as she watched women’s rights and voting rights assaulted repeatedly by the Republican-led legislature and by powerful organizations such as Heritage USA, while abusers such as those involved in the Epstein scandal remain shielded from accountability.
From her press release:
“We as women are under attack in this country. Our rights are being ripped out from under our feet, and our abusers are being protected by our government,” Waugh said.
Though she had been volunteering in her community, showing up to protests, and contacting her representatives, she was overcome with a desperate need to do something more.
Dismayed by the realization that International Women’s Day seemed to be passing almost entirely unnoticed this year, Waugh reached her breaking point. “Where is the giant march? Where are the throngs of angry women? I know they exist, I have to believe by the hundreds of thousands.”
It was then that she had the idea for a cross-country walk on D.C. “Honestly, at first I wanted to pull a Forest Gump, and just walk out my front door and not stop,” she said.
As she told the Oregonian: “It all just made me so mad that I had that horrible feeling of restlessness… I wanted to walk out the front door and keep walking until I reached Washington, D.C.”
We’ll keep tabs on this demonstration here, and you can also follow their journey on the website as safe-to-join dates and other news is updated. Don’t miss their Media Downloads page with social media-ready graphics and other material to help promote their cause.
Summarized in part from “2 Oregon women are walking to D.C. to protest for women’s rights. They want others to join” by Sami Edge, The Oregonian/OregonLive, April 1, 2026.
Top image is composited from images posted on womenswalkacrossamerica.com.