Women Cross DMZ

Thirty women—including two Nobel Peace laureates and feminist icon Gloria Steinem—walked arm-in-arm with 10,000 Korean women on both sides of the DMZ, on the wide boulevards of Pyongyang and the cobblestone streets of Kaesong, and along the barbed-wire fence in Paju.

With this historic act we called for three things: an end to the Korean War, the reunification of separated families, and women’s involvement at all levels of the peacebuilding process.

[2][4] In the weeks leading up to the walk, Steinem told the press, "It's hard to imagine any more physical symbol of the insanity of dividing human beings.

"[3] A South Korean lawmaker charged, "They're creating the false impression that North Korea is actually interested in peace.

"[9] Participants said the crossing focused global attention on the unnecessarily protracted Korean War, with support from world leaders, including UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon,[10] Archbishop Desmond Tutu,[11] the Dalai Lama,[12] former US President Jimmy Carter and South Korean lawmakers.