Ela Gandhi born Phoenix Ashram, Natal, South Africa July 1, 1940. Granddaughter of Gandhi, opponent of Apartheid; under house arrest nine years 1975-83; member of S. African parliament 1994-2004; opposed domestic violence.
"Violence must be stopped and we must begin by eliminating it at home." (Barcelona interview, April 8, 2004; photo opnews.in)
Leymah Gbowee born Liberia February 1, 1972. Nonviolent activist; worked to end Liberian civil war through nonviolent means, 2003. Shared Nobel Peace Prize with Tawakkol Karman & Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, 2011.
"Where women used to be the silent victims and objects of men's powers, women are throwing down the walls of repressive traditions with the invincible power of non-violence. Women are using their broken bodies from hunger, poverty, desperation and destitution to stare down the barrel of the gun." (Nobel address, Dec. 10, 2011; photo http://bit.ly/pxNnaa)
Frene Noshir Ginwala born Johannesburg, South Africa April 25, 1932. Parsi lawyer. Lived 31 years in exile, 1960-91. African National Congress leader against apartheid. Played key role in reestablishment of ANC Women’s League, 1990. First Speaker of South Africa Parliament, 1994-2004. Chancellor of Kwazulu University, 2005. Worked to eliminate nuclear weapons; opposed US occupation of Diego Garcia.
“[T]he triumph over apartheid provided a symbol of hope that racism and intolerance across the world could and would be overcome.” (Insession, Oct. 2001; photo polity.org.za)
Willemien "Willy" Posthumus-Van Der Goot born Pretoria, South Africa May 2, 1897 (d. 1989). Dutch pacifist; feminist leader; radio commentator; first woman economist. Active in the Assn. for Universal Peace (RUP), 1936; adopted Jewish child during WWII; chaired Dutch section of UN International Cooperation Year, 1965. Published Women Fought for Peace, 1961, and Peace with a Human Face, 1973. Founded part of International Peace Research Organisation's International Scientific Institute of Feminine Interpretation (ISIFI) in the belief "that women observe their own way in the confused state of the world," 1967.
Nadine Gordimer born Springs, Transvaal, South Africa November 20, 1923 (d. 2014). Awarded Nobel Literature Prize, 1991; early opponent of Apartheid; books banned; sheltered African National Congress leaders.
"The writer is of service to humankind only insofar as the writer uses the word even against his or her own loyalties, trusts the state of being. . . to yield somewhere fragmentary phrases of truth, which is the final word of words, never changed by our stumbling efforts to spell it out and write it down, never changed by lies, by semantic sophistry, by the dirtying of the word for the purposes of racism, sexism, prejudice, domination, the glorification of destruction, the curses and the praise-songs." (Nobel acceptance speech, 1991; photo 2010 wiki by Bengt Boberger)
Elizabeth Gwaunza born Zimbabwe June 15, 1953. Judge of International Criminal Court (ICTY) sentenced Croatian Gen. Ante Gotovina 24 years in prison.
"Gotovina’s order to unlawfully attack civilians and civilian objects amounted. . . to a significant contribution to the joint criminal enterprise." (April 15, 2011 judgment; photo ICTY)
Women in Peace
is dedicated to highlighting the achievements of extraordinary, peacemaking women from around the world.
