Honouring María Pagano: A Life of Courage, Peace, and Unwavering Solidarity 

With profound sadness, the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) mourns the passing of our dear friend and comrade, María Pagano, President of the Argentinian WILPF Section, known by many of us, as “Pocha”. While we grieve her departure, we also celebrate a remarkable life devoted to peace, justice, and the unwavering defence of human dignity. 

María’s life was one of extraordinary courage and resilience. She lived through one of Argentina’s darkest periods, surviving a brutal military dictatorship that forced her into exile. Rather than allowing repression to silence her, she transformed her experiences into lifelong activism, dedicating herself to building a more peaceful and just world. 

A committed journalist, trade unionist, feminist, and peace activist, María believed deeply in the power of collective action. Her work with trade union networks in Buenos Aires and her tireless advocacy for social justice reflected her conviction that lasting peace can only be achieved through equality, democracy, and respect for human rights. 

Among the many reflections she shared throughout her life were lessons drawn from the Madres de Plaza de Mayo, whose courage profoundly shaped generations of activists. Echoing the words of Hebe de Bonafini, María often reminded us that: 

“As Hebe taught us, we transform our grief into the strength to continue the struggle.” 

Those words were not merely something she quoted, they were the way she lived. She embodied the transformation of personal and collective pain into hope, solidarity, and determined action for justice. 

For decades, María stood alongside movements defending democracy, workers’ rights, women’s rights, and peace. Her commitment has been recognised throughout Argentina, where her long history of activism leaves an enduring legacy that will continue inspiring future generations. 

As we face increasingly difficult political times across the world, María’s example reminds us that peace is not passive. It is built every day through courage, solidarity, resistance to injustice, and care for one another. Her life stands as a testament to feminist peacebuilding rooted in hope and collective action. The members of the Argentinian WILPF Section, together with our global movement, will continue building the peaceful and just world for which she dedicated her life. 

WILPF members around the world, together with the WILPF International Secretariat, join the Costa Rica WILPF/LIMPAL Section in extending our deepest condolences to María’s children, her family, her friends, and our sisters in the WILPF Argentina Section. We share in your grief while celebrating the extraordinary woman whose warmth, wisdom, humour, and steadfast commitment touched so many lives. 

We honour María Pagano with deep gratitude. May her memory continue to guide us, strengthen our resolve, and remind us that even in times of profound sorrow, we can transform grief into the courage to keep building peace. 

Rest in power, dear María. Your legacy lives on. 

Acknowledgement: This article draws on the tribute prepared by Adilia Caravaca Z. of WILPF Costa Rica, whose heartfelt remembrance of María Pagano inspired this piece.

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