Women peacemakers born today

1881 Julia Grace Wales born Bury, Quebec (d. 1957). Originated idea of continuous peace mediation 1915, which led to League of Nations; co-founded WILPF.
1922 Peggy Hope-Simpson. Quaker. Co-founded first women’s peace organization, Nova Scotia Voice of Women (VOW), Halifax, 1959. Voiced early opposition to Cold War and NATO; spoke against racism.

1944 Virginia Stibbs Anami born Miami Beach, FL. American-Japanese cultural envoy, author, photographer, lecturer on East Asia; spouse of Japanese ambassador to China 2000-6.
1951 Vivienne Wee born Singapore. Professor of Asian Studies. Co-founded feminist Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE), 1985. Ran South Asia workshops on women peacebuilding.
1960 Angélique Kidjo born Cotonou, Benin. Grammy Award-winning singer; first African woman named UN Ambassador for Peace, 2002; African Union Peace Ambassador for Year of Peace and Security, 2010. Supported Darfur peace, women's rights, climate change action; sang at Nobel Peace Prize Concert, 1996, 2002, 2011.

Women's peacemaking on this day

1917 16 Women suffrage picketers arrested Washington DC including black portait painter Betsy Reyneau.

1983 Grandmothers Macy Morse, Mary Lyons and Agnes Bauerlein arrested Wilmington MA for pouring blood on AVCO on nuclear weapons plans.

1989 23rd WILPF Conference, Sydney, Australia on the "Role of the UN in the Peaceful Settlement of Conflict—From a Women's Perspective".
2002: Helen Odeworitse led 600 Nigerian women in occupying Chevron's Escravos terminal, holding 700 workers hostage, threatening to strip naked, a traditional shaming gesture. "Our weapon is our nakedness."

2011 Daphni Leef pitched tent Blvd Rothschild, Tel Aviv starting largest social protest in Israeli history.
2017 Women’s March against National Rifle Assn. 18 miles from Fairfax VA to Justice Dept. DC