August 7

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Women peacemakers born today

  • 1813 Paulina Kellogg Wright Davis born Bloomfield, NY (d. 1876). Abolitionist and suffragist; feminist editor of women's newspaper The Una; main organizer of the first National Woman's Rights Convention Worcester, MA 1850; home in Utica NY nearly burned by mob Oct. 1835.

  • 1863 Matilda Widegren born Söderköping, Sweden (d. 1938). Swedish pioneer in peace education; first chair of Swedish WILPF 1919-37; radical pacifist; founded International Foyer for Refugees 1935; nominated Jane Addams for Nobel Prize.

  • 1864 Ellen Fitz Pendleton born Westerly, RI (d. 1936). President of Wellesley College who opposed firing of pacifist professor Emily Balch; mathematician; only woman juror for Bok American Peace Prize 1923.

  • 1869 Ellen Palmstierna born Stockholm, Sweden (d. 1941). Swedish founder of WILPF; made peace mission to Russia with Jane Addams 1915; founded Swedish Save the Children, for starving children in postwar Europe 1919.

  • 1930 Mary Gregory born St. Paul, MN (d. 2005). American peace activist; potter and counselor. Protested nuclear testing, Nevada, 1950s. Anti-Vietnam War activist. Founding member, Clamshell Alliance, 1976. First arrest earned 3 months in jail, 1977.

  • 1938 Helen Caldicott born Melbourne, Australia. Physician led international opposition to nuclear tests 1971; co-founded Women's Action for Nuclear Disarmament (WAND) 1980; active in Physicians for Social Responsibility which won Nobel Prize 1985.

  • 1941 Amelia Rokotuivuna born Fiji (d. 2005). Fijian feminist who fought for peace, justice and equality; sat-in at French office in protest for nuclear free Pacific.

  • 1944 Nancy Morejon born Havana. Leading Cuban poet feminist who opposed Vietnam War, Grenada invasion, Pinochet.

  • 1956 Christiana Figueres born San José, Costa Rica. Costa Rican diplomat, expert on global climate change; UN Climate Chief 2010; founded Center for Sustainable Development in the Americas (CSDA) 1995; Hero of the Planet 1991.

  • 1975 Charlize Theron born Benoni, Transvaal. South African/American actress; UN Messenger of Peace 2008 focusing on violence against women; promoted anti-HIV campaign.

  • 1986 Sadžida Tulić born Libya. Bosnian human rights lawyer. Aided refugees from Syrian War.

Women's peacemaking on this day

  • 1914 First meeting of Gandhi and Sarojini Naidu, major woman leader of nonviolent protest, London.

  • 1989 Jennifer Hoffman and Honey Nesfel arrested Westboro MA protest against first strike weapons.

  • 1995 WILPF Peace Train Helsinki to Beijing Women's Conference 230.

  • 2000: All Africa Women for Peace (AAWP) founded, Pretoria University.