Women’s Cross-Country Walk for Women’s Rights Passes Through Twin Falls
A group of women pressing cross-country on foot passed through the Magic Valley over the weekend, drawing local supporters to the streets of Twin Falls and Buhl as part of a relay walk stretching from Salem, Oregon, to Washington, D.C.
The effort, organized by Emily Waugh under the banner of the Women’s Walk Across America, aims to highlight concerns about women’s rights and autonomy. Waugh said a sense of dread and isolation about the current state of women’s rights in the country motivated her to launch the walk.
“Physically moving our bodies obviously is a huge part of processing those feelings and creating momentum within ourselves that we are actually more powerful than we think,” Waugh told supporters gathered near the Twin Falls Visitor Center.
A Retired Judge, a Windstorm, and a Buhl Coffee Shop
Among the approximately 43 walkers who have joined Waugh along the route is Susan Tripp, a retired judge from Oregon. Tripp was spotted in Buhl during Wednesday’s dusty windstorm — an unlikely sight, but one she said was entirely necessary.
“Women’s rights are being eroded over time,” Tripp said. “Many people that I’ve talked to on the walk have said, ‘I’m out here for my kids, for my grandkids, that they have the same freedom that I have.'”
The group had already passed through Buhl and Filer before arriving in Twin Falls on Saturday. Braving 18 mph winds in 55-degree temperatures, the walkers set out from Blue Lakes Boulevard North, marching at a steady pace toward City Park by way of Shoshone Street. Some motorists along the route honked in support. A mother, her friend, and her children joined part of the walk while holding a banner.
Local Support Meets the Walkers Downtown
A small but energized crowd gathered in the Visitor Center parking lot before the walk began in Twin Falls. Waugh and Tripp addressed the group, sharing stories of people they had met along the route and the motivations behind their journeys. Twin Falls County Democratic Party Chair Don Morishita and Legislative District 24 candidate Anita Janis were on hand to greet the walkers, signing a Declaration for Women’s Rights and providing sandwiches, fruit, water, cookies, and other supplies to the group.
Fantasy and romance author Amber Argyle, who learned about the event through a local community group, marched in support of her two daughters and what she described as the rights of all women. Argyle questioned the SAVE Act — championed by President Donald Trump and congressional conservatives as an election integrity measure requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote — saying the law could create obstacles for women who change their names after marriage when it comes to voter registration.
The walkers also discussed Idaho’s restrictions on abortion, raised concerns about what they see as diminishing reproductive autonomy, and referenced wearing “Victory Red” lipstick as a symbol of protest.
Tripp, reflecting on the scenery the group had encountered along the Snake River plain — the farmland, rivers, and springs — said the warm reception from strangers had been equally memorable. “We’ve had people we’ve rented from, people who’ve donated food, people that donated housing, people who’ve donated transportation,” she said.
The Magic Valley stretch drew a mix of curious bystanders and committed supporters, illustrating how a national political demonstration can find a local audience even in a deeply conservative region. While Twin Falls County consistently votes Republican by wide margins, Saturday’s gathering showed that a segment of the community remains engaged with issues being debated at the state and federal level. Idaho maintains some of the nation’s strictest limits on abortion, a policy that has broad support among the state’s majority conservative voters but that draws sustained opposition from groups like this one passing through.
For more on local community events and athletics across the Magic Valley, see our coverage of Filer’s century-old bakery garage and how CSI softball advanced to the national tournament this spring.
What Comes Next
The Women’s Walk Across America continues east from Twin Falls, with the group maintaining its relay format as walkers take turns along segments of the route toward Washington, D.C. Waugh founded the walk with the goal of building momentum and visibility for women’s rights concerns before the group’s planned arrival at the nation’s capital. Updates on the walk’s progress are available at the group’s official website.