“I Came Home with Hope”
Reflections from the 2026 Mary’s Pence Grantee Gathering By Anisa Hajimumin When Comfort Dondo, Founder and Executive Director of Phumulani: African Women Against Violence, invited me to accompany her to the 2026 Mary’s Pence Grantee Gathering, I thought I knew what awaited me. What I did not expect was to leave with a renewed sense […]
Changing the Justice System: Shifting the Focus from Punishment to Healing
Our vision is that true justice comes not from punishment, but from care and systemic change. Across the country, grassroots organizations are showing that healing, accountability, and prevention create far...
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Welcoming Two New Partners in Honduras
We are thrilled to welcome two organizations to ESPERA: Intibucan Foundation for Development (FUNIDE) and Center for the Prevention, Treatment, and Rehabilitation of Torture Victims (CPTRT). Both organizations have programs...
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Addressing Idaho’s High Rates of Women’s Incarceration
When Idaho Justice Project set out to reduce the number of women experiencing incarceration, they knew the work would be urgent — and uphill. Idaho has the highest rate of...
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Rural Women on the Frontlines of Climate Change and Food Security
An inspiring example of women’s leadership comes from a group of ten women, members of ESPERA partner AMOS in El Salvador, who launched an organic home gardening project in June...
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Sacramento Poderosas: Art, Activism, and Community Healing
The Sacramento Poderosas utilize art as a form of activism, transforming walls into spaces of resistance, healing, and cultural affirmation. As a women-led, community-driven collective, they preserve Xicanx, Latinx and...
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Erika’s Hard Work and ESPERA Support Lead to Lasting Improvements
Erika Eloísa Ramírez de Valiente lives in the district of Apopa, El Salvador. She shares her life with her husband and her siblings and is part of Mary’s Pence ESPERA...
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How DemocraShe is Preparing Future Women Leaders
Despite progress, women remain vastly underrepresented in American politics. Today, women make up only 28% of Congress, yet they comprise 51% of the U.S. population. That number drops further when...
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Transforming Leadership in Central America
Grassroots organizing is a demanding, time-intensive job, and too often goes unpaid. Across communities, women step up to lead because they care about their communities and the dignity of other...
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Why I’m a Compañera?
I am honored to be a compañera— a partner in action— to the women of Mary's Pence. I've been a sustaining donor for a few years because I appreciate how...
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