June 12

/

Women peacemakers born today

  • 1802 Harriet Martineau born Norwich, England (d. 1876). "Mother of Sociology." Abolitionist; feminist; historian; transcendentalist philosopher. Early advocate of care of battle-wounded.

  • 1873 Ebba Pauli born Västerhanunge, Sweden (d. 1941). Swedish social reformer and author. Radical pacifist. Co-founded slum settlement Birkagården, 1912. Early member of the Fellowship of Reconciliation, 1918; work for International FOR. Co-founded pacifist League for Christian Citizenship.

  • 1892 Margaret Sturge Watts born Everton, Liverpool, England (d. 1978). Australian Quaker opponent of World War I; founding member of Australian WILPF. Founded Women's Peace Army, 1916.

  • 1913 Elisabeth Eidenbenz born Wila, Zürich, Switzerland (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.

  • 1915 Barbara Leonard Reynolds born Milwaukee, WI (d. 1990). Quaker protester; anti-nuclear activist; tax resister. Sailed Phoenix into Eniwetok test zone, 1958; world tour with hibakusha (survivors of the atomic bombings), 1964; created World Friendship Center, Hiroshima, 1965.

  • 1929 Brigid Brophy, Lady Levey born London, England (d. 1995). British author and playwright. Feminist, pacifist, socialist pamphleteer, and social reformer. Waged vigorous public campaign against Vietnam War.

  • 1929 Anne Frank born Frankfurt, Germany (d. 1945).

  • 1929 Betty A. Reardon born Rye, NY. "The Mother of Peace Education." Pioneering peace educator. Co-founded International Institute of Peace Education, 1972; Global Campaign for Peace Education, 1999. Awarded Sean MacBride Peace Prize, 2009.

  • 1938 Robin Lloyd born Evanston, IL. Third-generation woman peacemaker, granddaughter of Lola Lloyd, niece of Georgia Lloyd; filmmaker, Quaker peace activist; WILPF 100th anniversary performance “Talking with our Grandmothers”; co-founded Burlington Peace Center; nonviolence teacher; opposed war on drugs.

  • 1969 Netsai Mushonga born Bindura, Zimbabwe. Nonviolent peace activist. Began Women Peacemakers Program (WPP) for Fellowship of Reconciliation, 1997.

Women's peacemaking on this day

  • 1915 In Paris, Jane Addams and Aletta Jacobs made personal appeal for peace to French Foreign Minister Delcassé.

  • 1919 Costa Rican women students marched in protest that led to overthrow of dictator Tinoco.

  • 1982 Women Strike for Peace organized one million people demanding end to arms race.

  • 1993 In Sarajevo, Zainab Salbi founded Women for Women International to aid women victims of war.

  • 1997 Mary Robinson appointed UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

  • 2006 Iranian women launched campaign for gender rights.