Wanda Jakubowska born Warsaw, Russian Poland October 10, 1907 (d. 1998). Auschwitz survivor film The Last Stage, 1947 about concentration camps. Only female winner of International Peace Prize, 1950.
“May Auschwitz never happen again. . . never again!” (last words of Marta Weiss)
Ada Lois James born Richland Center, WI March 23, 1876 (d. 1952). Leading Wisconsin suffragist and progressive reformer. Active in WILPF, War Resisters League. Supported League of Nations. Staunch pacifist, critic of wartime work like Red Cross. Opposed both world wars; against National Guard, ROTC, and state militia.
On the Red Cross: “[It] makes me actually sick. . . the psychology of women who respond to war work when they never are interested in other forms of patriotic service.” (Linda K. Schott, Reconstructing Women’s Thoughts, 1997, p. 71; photo Danish Peace Academy)
Selma James (née Deitch) born Brooklyn, NY August 15, 1930. Socialist reformer. Active in West Indian independence, 1960; first Organizing Secretary for Campaign Against Racial Discrimination, 1965; International Coordinator for grassroots women's network Global Women's Strike, who demand military budgets be returned to community starting with women via the motto: "Invest in Caring Not Killing," 2000.
"Revolutions are notorious for allowing even non-participants—even women!—new scope for telling the truth since they are themselves such massive moments of truth, moments of such massive participation." (The Ladies and the Mammies: Jane Austen and Jean Rhys, ch. 1, 1983; photo Clarke Forum, Dickinson)
Laura Jamieson born Park Head, Ontario, Canada December 29, 1888 (d. 1964). Judge; journalist; politician; feminist; Socialist leader of WILPF.
"Men's predominant instinct was for struggle and competition. In women the predominant instinct is maternal and humanitarian. This quality was of such supreme value that it makes women potentially superior to males." (Vancouver Women's School for Citizenship, Susan Walsh thesis 146; 1916 photo TML Daily)
Ghada Jamsheed born Bahrain June 26, 1967. Human rights activist. Founded Women’s Petition Committee, 2001; collected 1,700 signatures, 2003. Arrested and sentenced one year for advocating women’s rights, 2014; arrested, 2016.
“The injustice and suffering continues. Women have become victims of the power struggle, sectarian differences, mismanagement of the government, and unfair distribution of national wealth and resources.” (Chan’ad Bahreini, Dec. 18, 2006; photo OMCT)
Fasia Jansen born Hamburg, Germany June 6, 1929 (d. 1997). Afro-German singer; peace activist; anti-nuclear songs “Doomsday”, “Scorched Earth” “road to Aldermaston”, “Singing”; idea of peace tent at Nairobi 1985, followed by tents in Europe with partner Ellen Diederich with whom she toured in Peace Bus in US and Europe.
“So I woke up in terror
I decided: it never comes to that!
I decided: You have to make peace—
And nothing other attempt I’ll do!”
(“Doomsday”; photo lyricwikia)
Ann Marie Janson Lang born Sweden April 22, 1955. Swedish doctor at Karolynska Institute led WHO case against nuclear weapons at World Court 1996.
“What are the pieces of puzzles missing to achieve nuclear abolition, i.e., a total ban on nuclear weapons? . . . It's time to go out and make it clear: ‘Nuclear war—it's Chernobyl and Fukushima with the intention—worse!’" (Lãkartidnigen, Dec. 6, 2006; photo lãkemedelsverket)
Ivana Janů born Plazy, Czechoslovakia March 14, 1946. International lawyer and judge. Head of Czech delegation to Council of Europe, 1992; judge on European Court of Human Rights, 2004. Convicted head of Bosnian Krajina region of war crimes, 1993; presided over Yugoslav War Crimes Tribunal (ICTY), 2001-2004.
“The Trial Chamber finds you guilty of Persecutions as a crime against humanity. . . Willful killing. . . Torture. . . Wanton destruction of cities, towns and villages or devastation not justified by military necessity as a violation of the laws and customs of war. . . Destruction or willful damage done to institutions dedicated to religion as a violation of the laws and customs of war. We sentence you, Radoslav Brdjanin, to a single sentence of 32 years of imprisonment.” (photo ICTY)
Khalida Jarrar born Nablus, Palestine February 9, 1963. Palestinian human rights activist and lawyer; diplomat representative to European Community, getting International Criminal Court standing; arrested 2015 and convicted 15 months for inciting violence, Palestine Legislative Council 2016.
“I am talking about all kinds of resistance that the international law allows, including military resistance. Because international law also allows this for a people under occupation. What is violent and what is non-violent? Is a stone violent or not? Israel now wants to jail any Palestinian who throws a stone for 10 years. The violence comes from the occupation not the people who resist it. Let all Palestinians share in the popular resistance. It includes everything, stones, molotov cocktails, the boycotting Israel, organising yourself in cooperatives. People’s creativity is much richer than anything I will say to you. Our people on the ground will always find the tools to struggle if you give them the chance. Their creativity is greater than those of political leaders and their leaders.” (David Hearst interview, April 20, 2015 ME Eye; photo Middle East Eye)
Ann Maria Reeves Jarvis born Culpepper, VA September 30, 1832 (d. 1905). "The Mother of Mothers Day" founded Mothers' Friendship Day for peace and reconciliation after Civil War 1865 Pruntytown, WV; this became inspiration for her daughter Anna Jarvis who made Mothers Day official 1914.
"[I pledge] To make a sworn-to agreement between members that friendship and good will should obtain in the clubs for the duration and aftermath of the war. That all efforts to divide the churches and lodges should not only be frowned upon but prevented." (1861, wvgenweb.org/taylor/mothersday/mother.htm; photo Library of Congress)
Michaële Jean born Port-au-Prince, Haiti September 6, 1957. Governor-General of Canada 2005-10; first woman head of International Francophone Organization 2015; UNESCO Special Envoy for Haiti; nominee for UN Secretary General 2016.
“We will stop bullying, verbal abuse, violent intimidation, and knee-jerk hatred for differences, by creating and nurturing a culture of respect, a culture of nonviolence, a culture of curiosity for the other, a culture of amazement before what we do not yet understand. Break the silence, dare to speak out, and the whole edifice of intimidation comes crumbling down. The tool of violence becomes powerless. . . That’s the power of words, of words and action, together.” (International Day of Pink, Jan. 29, 2015; photo michaëledean)
Eglantyne Jebb born Ellesmere, Shropshire, England August 25, 1876 (d. 1928). Founded Save the Children 1919 in response to postwar famine; author of Declaration of Rights of Children 1924.
"All wars are waged against children." (1919; photo oswestrygenealogy.org)
Mary Evelyn Jegen born Chicago, IL February 15, 1928 (d. 2014). History professor; Catholic scholar; Sister of Notre Dame de Namur. Began peace advocacy while helping students register as conscientious objectors against the Vietnam War; first executive director Bread for the World Educational Fund, 1976. Founded Pax Christi USA, 1975; National Director of Pax Christi USA, 1979-82; Vice-president of Pax Christi International, 1984-90. Maintained 24-day prayer vigil at White House during Gulf War, 1990; arrested in Iraq War sit-in, Cincinnati, 2006.
"Our vocation is to make visible God's own response to violence. . . It is God who wants to express love, justice, mercy and forgiveness in us. Making God's love visible means inventing ways to let others know that we really care about them, will really labor for their happiness." (Pax Christi, Nancy Small, July 9, 2014; photo Pax Christi)
Karen Jeppe born Gylling, Denmark July 1, 1876 (d. 1935). "Danish Mother of the Armenians"; teacher who cared for victims of genocide.
"Well, then I must apply myself to it, however much I resist." (Memories, p. 14; photo Danish Peace Acad.)
Fatima Jibrell born Somalia December 30, 1947. Somali-American environmentalist. Founded relief organization Adeso, 1991. Played key role in Women's Coalition for Peace, encouraging women to take increased roles in politics and peacemaking. Awarded Goldman Environmental Prize, 2002.
“[W]omen cannot remain detached [from politics]. We can be pillars of peace in Somalia.” (Tekla Szymanski, Worldpress.org, Jan. 4, 2014; photo worldpress.org)
Hina Jilani born Lahore, Pakistan June 30, 1953. Human rights activist; frequently arrested by military for protests on behalf of women's rights. First UN Special Rep. For Human Rights Defenders, 2000-08; embarked upon UN fact-finding missions on Darfur, 2006, and Gaza, 2009. Founded first Pakistani women's law firm.
"I always had this feeling that if you see injustice, you have to speak out against it; otherwise you are not in a position to complain." (Human Rights Magazine, Summer 2000; photo cartercenter.org)
Tano Jodai born Daito, Yamagata, Japan July 3, 1886 (d. 1982). Japanese educator and peace activist; Quaker. International WILPF leader; UNESCO Council member. Founded first Japanese peace group Japanese Woman’s Peace Association, which became Japanese chapter of WILPF, 1921. Co-founded UN Association Japan; organized Committee of Seven to Appeal for World Peace, favoring abolition of nuclear weapons. Organized Small Kindness movement, which grew globally, 1963. President of Japanese Women’s College, 1958-65.
"[W]e know the [Vietnam] war cannot be solved by force, but through negotiations. . . in order to check the hopeless and useless continuation of the war, I believe we must no longer depend solely on the will of the belligerent nations alone, but all the nations and peoples of the world should cooperate in one way or another in common service at this time of supreme crisis in Vietnam." (letter to Shingo Shibata re: Alice Herz, May 18, 1965)
Scarlett Johansson born New York, NY November 22, 1984. Actress; promoted Move On against Iraq War; Oxfam ambassador.
"Small changes can ripple out and have a huge effect on a community, then on a country and eventually on the world." (March 17, 2008, Sheryl Garratt; photo wiki pd)
Cecilia Annie John born Hobart, Tasmania November 5, 1877 (d. 1953). Australian singer; founded Women's Peace Army, 1915.
Sang banned song:
"I didn't raise my son to be a soldier. . .
To shoot another mother’s darling boy
Why should he fight in someone else’s quarrels
It’s time to throw the sword and gun away
There would be no war today
If the nations all would say
No I didn’t raise my son to be a soldier."
Eddie Bernice Johnson born Waco, TX December 3, 1935. Psychiatric nurse and politician. US Representative for Dallas, 1993. As head of Black Caucus led opposition to Iraq War; opposed Kosovo bombing; voted to exit Afghanistan and Iraq. Supported a Department of Peace and Nonviolence, 2007; supported immigrants' rights.
“I strongly believe that the administration has not provided evidence of an imminent threat of attack on the United States that would justify a unilateral strike.” (to Congress, Oct. 8, 2002; photo northdallasgazette.com)
Women in Peace
is dedicated to highlighting the achievements of extraordinary, peacemaking women from around the world.
