Women peacemakers born today

1863 Sarah Saunders Page born Waimea South, Nelson, New Zealand (d. 1950). New Zealand peace leader; Quaker feminist, Socialist; led opposition to conscription World War I in Canterbury Women’s Institute; led No More War movement 1930.
1874 Zona Gale born Portage, WI (d. 1938). American novelist, playwright and essayist; pacifist opposed to World War I; anti-war novel Heart's Kindred (1915) featured women's appeals for peace; against capital punishment; friend of Jane Addams; helped draft Wisconsin Equal Rights law 1923.

1910 Mother Teresa of Calcutta born Skopje, Macedonia, Ottoman Empire (d. 1997). Nobel Peace Prize 1979; first Templeton Prize 1973; Nehru Prize 1969.

1920 Naomi Goodman born New York, NY (d. 2005). Headed Jewish Peace Fellowship; feminist and pacifist author who supported conscientious objection and nonviolence; opposed war in Balkans, conscription, capital punishment, arms race, nuclear weapons, Israeli occupation.

1941 Barbara Ehrenreich born Butte, MT. PhD biologist; feminist and activist; Democratic Socialist; columnist who opposed Vietnam War and wrote important book Blood Rites on the nature of war 1997.

1950 Maria Otero born La Paz, Bolivia. American President of Acción International, leading microfinance 2000; first Latina Undersecretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs 2009-13; chaired Bread for the World 1992.

Women's peacemaking on this day

1910 Second International Conference of Socialist Women Copenhagen set March 8 as International Women’s Day.
1918 Suffragists convicted for protests at White House.

1920 Women's Liberation Day/Equality Day celebrates universal suffrage in US.

1970 Women's Strike for Equality: 50,000 marched NY City in largest American march.

2002 Diane Wilson climbed DOW tower to protest Bhopal disaster, to be arrested and sentenced.

2004 Women of Garoka, Papua New Guinea took to streets to protest perpetual violence against women.