Anna Edinger (née Goldschmidts) born Frankfurt, Germany May 17, 1863 (d. 1929). German women’s rights leader and pacifist. Joined Frankfurt Peace Association, 1893; German Peace Association delegate on Peace Committee of International Congress of Women Geneva, 1908, Stockholm, 1911. (photo frankfurter frauenzimmer)
Anna Lenah Elgström born Helsingborg, Sweden December 29, 1884 (d. 1968). Swedish pacifist author. Wrote of her opposition to Great War in novel Mother, 1917. Active in International Women’s Committee for Lasting Peace; delegate to WILPF conference, Zurich, 1919, which she chronicled in Women of the Time.
“We women are revolting against state mechanism, against an age of materialism, which is dragging down the individual soul, robbing it of reverence for life, deflecting it from the purpose of life, purity, love, knowledge. I have tried to give voice to the pains of motherhood, a motherhood which recognizes these purposes, which venerates life. War is not the only destructive force. The age is material. . . It is a game, a pleasure. It becomes mechanical and this breeds war. Women are to blame as well as men. We ought to possess enough mother conscience, mother responsibility, to rise up and stop this life of materialism and mechanical organization. I am not hopeful this can come quickly. I am not sure we have entered on the last war. I believe in evolution, and evolution comes slowly. It will come in time. . . I believe in the women of the future.” (to Madeleine Doty, Behind the Battle Line, 1918, pp. 143-4; photo Wikipedia)
Gunhild Emanuelsen born Kristania, Norway December 31, 1914 (d. 2006). Norwegian labor organizer and communist peace leader. Head of No Nuclear Weapons. Socialist Left member of parliament, 1977-85; resisted German occupation. Took part in Nordic Peace, March 1982. (photo portretter.no)
Elisabet “Lisa” Eurén-Berner born Luleå, Sweden October 31, 1886 (d. 1971). Swedish schoolteacher, popular writer, internationalist, and peace educator. Active in WILPF and Swedish Peace Society. Leader in Nordic peace education.
On her life's work toward human internationalism: “[It is] preparing space for the kingdom of God in this existence." (1927, in Ingela Nilsson, Nationalism in the Service of Peace, p. 120)
“This feeling [love of country] needs to be expanded to encompass all people, to become real human love, goodwill, which leads to cooperation. We must come to feel it as a prominent Englishman, Lord Esher, not long ago, saying, 'I now regard England as my home and Europe as my country!’ In this spirit must we learn to look all over the world.” (1930, in Nilsson, p. 182)
Beatrice Ensor born Marseille, France August 11, 1886 (d. 1974). British internationalist educator and Theosophist. Founded New (World) Education Fellowship for international understanding, world citizenship, and peace, 1921. Profound influence on UNESCO. Rescued starving Hungarian children post WWI.
"The evolutionary process and time will force us to world fellowship, but achievement of this goal can best be hastened by educators." (New York Times, Aug. 14, 1936; photo Wikipedia)
Elizabeth of Portugal (AKA Isabel of Portugal, née Elizabeth of Aragon) born Aragon, Spain January 4, 1271 (d. 1336). “The Peacemaker.” Achieved Peace of Alcañices, settling border of Portugal and Castile, 1297; arbitrated dispute of Castile and Aragon, 1307; prevented battle at Alvalade by riding a mule between armies, 1307. On her deathbed, rode to Estremoz to prevent war between Portugal and Castile, 1336. Honored for feeding poor during famine.
Last words: “Mary. . . protect me from the enemy and receive me at the hour of death.” (Vilaça portrait wikipedia)
Annevig Schelde Ebbe born Århus, Denmark August 6, 1983. Danish actress; peace activist; sang in mass protest against Iraq War 2001; second-generation peacemaker, daughter of WILPF president.
“Just as the war against Afghanistan was, any war on Iraq would just be a comma in the great history of colonialism and globalization and economic interests that ravage out there no matter what.”
I want to sing a song for you there
Is about what it's about
To live and love, and really think
Is not that we are here for?
(War and Peace, No. 1, 2003, p.17); photo Andreas Bergman.dk)
Anna B. Eckstein born Coburg, Saxony, Germany June 14, 1860 (d. 1947). German-American peace leader; Boston teacher who collected 6 million signatures for peace on eve of World War I.
"Mutual pledge of the 44 nations to respect, as inviolable, every nation's fundamental factors of life and natural liberty. . . [T]o adjust all international interests by treaty, and by arbitration reduce the necessity of armaments." (petition in Swarthmore Peace Coll., Eckstein; photo landesbibliothek-coburg.de)
Eileen Egan born Pontypridd, Wales December 27, 1911 (d. 2000). American nonviolent peace leader; opposed nuclear weapons; promoted refugee relief during WWII; founded Pax Christi, 1972; supported Martin Luther King, Jr. and Cesar Chavez.
"You can take course after course of so-called theology and never hear the message at the heart of Christianity—the message of Jesus, which is indiscriminate love." (photo pbs.org)
Ingrid Eide born Oslo, Norway July 12, 1933. Norwegian sociologist, co-founder of International Peace Research Institute; UN official 1987-93; member of parliament; founded No to Nuclear Weapons.
"The opposite [of war] would be community, co-operation and trust, skills in non-violent conflict management, the ability and will to (re-)construct and to preserve." (Tromsø, May 6, 2000; photo prio.no)
Elisabeth Eidenbenz born Wila, Zürich, Switzerland June 12, 1913 (d. 2011). Swiss humanitarian; teacher; aided children refugees from Spanish Civil War 1937; established maternity refuge France 1939; aid to Jewish women in World War II won Righteous Among the Nations award 2002.
"They called me and I went. I did not think much of it. It was fortunate to be able to do what had to be done.” (EcuRed: Eidenbenz)
"My greatest satisfaction is that motherhood will become an island of peace in the midst of the hell of war; in an oxygen cylinder to pull forward, to continue living." (1325 Mujeres Tejiendo la Paz; photo sapiens.cat)
Riane Eisler (née Tennenbaum) born Vienna, Austria July 22, 1931. American cultural historian; peace educator, author Educating for a Culture of Peace 2002.
“I pray for a world where we live in partnership rather than domination; where 'man's conquest of nature' is recognized as suicidal and sacrilegious; where power is no longer equated with the blade, but with the holy chalice: the ancient symbol of the power to give, nurture, enhance life. And I not only pray, but actively work, for the day when it will be so.” (The Chalice and the Blade, 1989; photo saiv.org)
Kajsa “Ekis” Ekman born Stockholm, Sweden July 25, 1980. Swedish feminist journalist; illegally seized on high seas by Israeli navy aboard “Marianne”, imprisoned a week in Israel for Freedom Flotilla III nonviolent protest, 2015.
"I'm hoping that the Israelis actually understand that it would create a lot of more goodwill for them if they actually let the boats through, because there's no reason for them not to do that. It's counterproductive in the end. . . I think they've totally lost common-sense here, because really it's not a threat to bring in medical equipment, to bring in medicine, to bring in solar panels." (Al-Jazeera, June 19, 2015; photo leapardforlag.se)
Elisabeth of the Palatinate AKA Elisabeth of Bohemia born Heidelberg, Palatinate Germany December 26, 1618 (d. 1680). Philosopher Princess; Abbess of Herford; Labadist (Christian communist); correspondent with Quakers Fox, Barclay and Penn; philosophers Descartes, Spinoza.
“I hope never to need to follow the precepts of the ‘physician of princes’ [Machiavelli], because violence and suspicion go against my grain.” (to Descartes, Nov. 29, 1646; 1636 portrait Wikipedia)
Edith Maud Ellis born Nottinghamshire, England January 6, 1878 (d. 1963). Quaker; absolute pacifist; daughter of MP. Served as president of British WILPF; led Friends Service Committee, counseling those who refused conscription during World War I; acted as mediator to end Korean War; published pamphlet A Challenge to Militarism, for which she was fined £150, spent 3 months in Holloway Prison.
"The declaration of peace and goodwill is the duty of all Christians and ought not to be dependent upon the permission of any Government Official. We therefore intend to continue the publication of such leaflets as we feel it our duty to put forth, without submitting them to the Censor." (Goliath v. David: A Short History of the Organized Peace Movement, p. 13; photo Wikipedia)
Mary Elmes born Cork, Ireland May 5, 1908 (d. 2002). Irish nurse. Served as nurse for Quaker American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) during Spanish Civil War, 1937-39. Arrested, 1943; jailed six months. Received Righteous Among the Nations Award for saving lives of Jewish children in France during WWII under auspices of AFSC.
“We all suffered inconveniences in those days, didn’t we?” (Rosemary Bailey, The Story Continues; photo db.yadvashem.org)
Scilla Elworthy born Galashiels, Scotland June 3, 1943. Founded Oxford Research Group for peace dialog 1982; started Peace Direct 2003 supporting local peacemaking; first S. African multiracial theater; began campaign against genital mutilation 1978; Niwano Peace Prize 2003; international relations scholar.
"[I]nclude women in preventing and resolving violence. Why? Because all over the world women have shown that they're good at it." (Resurgence, Nov. 2005; photo Wikipedia)
Eleanor Jean Emery born Glasgow, Scotland December 23, 1918 (d. 2007). First woman to head a British diplomatic mission, to Botswana, 1973. (photo Glasgow U.)
Jill Evans born Ystrad Rhondda, Glamorgan, Wales May 8, 1959. Welsh politician; peace activist; European Parliament 1999, vice-president Greens European Parliament 2014 ; chaired Cymru Committee for Nuclear Disarmament; marched from Cardiff leading to Greenham 1981; protested nuclear bomb factory Llanisien, Cardiff; former president Plaid Cymru foreign policy spokesperson; voted against Iraq War.
"War against Iraq would be disastrous and would cause even more instability in the Middle East. Of course Saddam Hussein is a dangerous man who has persecuted the people of Iraq. We were saying that in the 80s when the British Government was selling him arms. We all want to see a democratic government in Iraq but more bloodshed won't achieve that.” (Sept. 21, 2002, Plaid Cymru convention)
On Israeli occupation and Gaza blockade: “How much longer can the Palestinian people wait for justice and equality? How many more generations will live through the terror? The situation is as bad as ever, if not worse. House demolitions, forced evictions and arrests under administrative detention are still common.” (Colwyn Bay, Nov. 16, 2016; photo Wikipedia)
Maya Evans born Hackney, London, England December 18, 1979. British peace activist. UK Voices for Creative Nonviolence coordinator. Arrested for reading names of 95 British soldiers killed in Iraq, 2005; arrested for blocking highway to Labour Party meeting, demanding “U Turn for Peace,” Bournemouth, 2007; arrested and jailed 13 days for her role in peaceful die-in anniversary protest of NATO bombing of Afghan wedding, Northwood Military Centre, 2009. Led first British peace mission to Afghanistan, 2011. Led eight-day, 90-mile Drones Peace Walk from factory to Waddington drone base, 2012.
“People forget that we're at war with Afghanistan, it's been longer than both world wars combined. For us it's an issue of poor decision making and public spending by our leaders; for Afghans it means displacement, poverty, destruction and loss of life.” (Network for Peace bio; photo schnews.org.uk)
Women in Peace
is dedicated to highlighting the achievements of extraordinary, peacemaking women from around the world.
