Sarah Mkhonza (née Thembile Du Pont) born Siphofaneni, Swaziland May 7, 1957. Swazi journalist, novelist, poet. Exiled, 2003. Received Oxford PEN Award, 2005.
We say peace be unto Aleppo
For what else is there to do
Than pray to the powers of our
World to stop fueling this fight
That has never stopped. . .
(“Peace Be Unto Aleppo”; photo Stanford Explore Courses)
Wangari Muta Maathai born Nyeri, Kenya April 1, 1940 (d. 2011). Nobel Peace laureate 2004; founded Green Belt movement of women planting trees 1977; her Peace Trees campaign promoted community conflict resolution; many arrests for civil disobedience.
"[T]here can be no peace without equitable development; and there can be no development without sustainable management of the environment in a democratic and peaceful space." (Nobel address, Dec. 10, 2004)
"Mankind's universal values of love, compassion, solidarity, caring and tolerance should form the basis for this global ethic which should permeate culture, politics, trade, religion and philosophy. It should also permeate the extended family of the United Nations." (Beijing, Aug. 30, 1995; photo wangari.greenbeltmovement.org)
Graça Simbine Machel born Incadine, Mozambique October 17, 1945. Spearheaded UN report on child soldiers, 1996.
"The base of human behavior is first of all solidarity, love and mutual assistance."(Futurist, July 1, 1994; photo 2010 wikicom pd)
Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge born Magog, KwaZulu June 29, 1952. Quaker pacifist, negotiated end of Apartheid and new constitution; Dep. Minister of Defence 1999-2004 using army for peacekeeping in Africa; fired as Dep. Minister of Health 2007 after calling AIDS policy a disaster.
"Women must be at the peace table. . . While wars do indeed begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men and women that the defences of peace must be constructed." (July 20, 2004: photo quakersintheworld.org)
Fatoumata Maïga born Gao, Mali February 24, 1962. Malian peace activist; founding president Association des Femmes pour les Initiatives de Paix, Bamako 1998; chairwoman West Africa Network for Peacebuilding; secretary general Peace and Security Network ECOWAS Women; head Mali PeaceWomen Across the Globe.
“Gender is the backbone in conflict resolution, gender is the backbone in conflict prevention, gender, must be taken into account in the construction of peace. . . Women are very sensitive to violence. I am not saying that all women are doves because we have seen women, warlords, women who fight. But the vast majority of women are doves of peace. They will never advocate the war, because they are very expensive to those who go to war: either their children or their husbands.” (Republican, Nov. 24, 2008; photo 1000peacewomen)
Miriam Makeba born Johannesburg, South Africa March 4, 1932 (d. 2008). Singer; known as "the empress of African song"; awarded Hammarsköld Peace Prize, 1986; opposed Apartheid as exiled delegate to UN.
“[A]partheid was wrong, and all I did was tell the people who wanted to know where I come from how we lived in South Africa. I just told the world the truth. And if my truth then becomes political, I can't do anything about that.” (Brainy Quote; photo South Africa Radio ZAR)
Amina Mama born Kaduna, Nigeria September 19, 1958. African-American professor of women’s leadership; antiwar feminist; chaired Global Fund for Women; strong opponent of US militarization of Africa.
“[I]f the US war on terror is the ‘father of all wars,’ Africa’s conflicts are his angry and rebellious offspring, sharing the same disrespect for borders and the close connections to private profiteering. . . All this gives African women particular cause for concern. It tells us why African women must take a stand in the transnational movement to dismantle militarism.” (50.50, Nov. 28, 2012; photo gws.ucdavis.edu)
Irene Chirwa Mambilima born Zambia March 31, 1952. Zambian judge; international lawyer. Observed Mozambique elections, 1994; nominated judge of Yugoslav War Crimes Tribunal, 2001; hosted UN workshop on elections, 2007.
“The democratic process had swept through the entire region and what remained was to consolidate the democratic momentum and improve upon the quality of the democratic processes in place.” (UN Workshop on Elections, Lusaka, Nov. 25, 2007)
Emma Thandi Mashinini born Rosettenville, Johannesburg, South Africa August 21, 1929. Headed South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission 1986; union leader arrested 1981 held 6 months solitary; president of Mediation and Conciliation Centre Johannesburg.
"I have always resented being dominated. I resent being dominated by a man, and I resent being dominated by white people. . . It is just trying to say, 'I am human. I exist. I am a complete person.'" (Strikes Have Followed Me All My Life, p. 24, 1993; photo panmacmillan.com)
Rebecca Masika Katsuva born Democratic Republic of Congo May 26, 1966 (d. 2016). “Mama Masika.” Victim of multiple wartime rapes; set up refuges for rape victims, South Kivu.
“I decided that I had to do something empowering for myself and for other women. To help women move from the state they are in today and reconnect with the women they were before. We wanted to show them that just because they have been raped, this is not the end. They can start again like me. Despite everything I went through, I am still standing and they can do it as well.” (Oct. 10, 2013, 7th Front Line Defenders Dublin Platform; photo frontlinedefenders)
Charlotte Maxeke (née Manye) born Ramokgopa, Transvaal April 7, 1874 (d. 1939). "The Mother of African Freedom"; pioneer opponent of pass laws 1913; founded Bantu Women's League 1918.
"We have done with pleading, we now demand!" (http://bit.ly/1rH2a2x; photo johannesburghospital.org)
Fatima Meer born Durban, South Africa August 12, 1928 (d. 2010). Gandhian Muslim anti-apartheid leader and writer; sociology professor. Founded Student Passive Resistance Committee, 1946. Banned by South African government, subject to restricted movement, surveillance, and censorship, 1952-56, 1976-86. Organized women’s Anti-Pass March, protesting pass laws, which restricted movement of non-white citizens, 1956. Revived Gandhi’s commune Phoenix Settlement, 1969. Held six months in prison without trial, 1975. Survived assassination attempt, 1976; home twice firebombed. Published first authorized biography of Nelson Mandela, Higher Than Hope, 1990.
“Gandhi did not say, 'I will be the change'; he said YOU be the change you want to see in the world. Though many people may feel that Mahatma Gandhi's non-violent principles are no longer relevant, I believe these principles are more relevant than ever in today's very violent world.” (“Gandhi's Legacy of Non-Violence”, self-growth.com; photo wiki.ulwazi.org)
Asha-Rose Mtengeti Migiro born Songea, Tanzania July 9, 1956. UN Deputy Secretary General 2007; first woman Foreign Minister of Tanzania 2006; Professor of Law focusing on human rights and regional integration; presided on Great Lakes peace conference.
"We strongly condemn those parties that kill children who wish to opt out of or refuse recruitment. We also condemn all those parties to conflicts that attack schools and hospitals or commit atrocities." (UN Security Council, Feb. 23, 2005; photo word.world-citizenship.org)
Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka born Claremont, Durban, South Africa November 3, 1955. First president of Natal Organization of Women, 1983. Member of Parliament, 1994-2008. First woman to serve as deputy president of South Africa, 2005-08. As leader of South African Development Committee, observed Zimbabwe election, 2005. Established Umlambo Foundation to support impoverished schools, 2008. Executive Director of the UN Entity for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women (UN Women), 2013.
“[E]mpowering women empowers humanity.” (UN Women, May 13, 2014)
“[W]e have a degree of crisis of leadership in our world. . . When you leave a little bit more than half the citizens in any country in a level of subjugation, you actually create inequalities and you rob that nation of the energy and the contribution of those people just because of their gender.” (Winchester International Symposium, March 22, 2013)
"Rape has become, for instance, one of the weapons in war situations that is used specifically against women, with impunity. That tells you there are deep-rooted traditional attitudes towards women.” (The Guardian, July 30, 2013; photo sahistory.org)
Faiza Jama Mohamed born Somalia November 12, 1958. Active in Somali women’s movements of the 1990s. Co-founded women’s organizations in Somalia promoting peace and gender equality, 1996. Director of Africa Regional Office of Equality Now Nairobi, 2000. Organized pan-African Solidarity for African Women’s Rights Coalition (SOAWR), which achieved Protocol of African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, 2004. Africa Prize Laureate of Hunger Project, 2008.
“[W]e should focus not only on ending all forms of violence and discrimination against women and girls in Kenya, but on being proactive about making the country a more just society for all.” (The Guardian, April 21, 2014; photo trust.org)
Amina J. Mohammed born Kaduna state, Nigeria June 27, 1961. UN Deputy Secretary General 2016; UN Special Adviser on Post-2015 Development Planning 2014; Nigerian Environment Minister 2015; founding CEO Afri-Projects Consortium 1991.
“[W]omen are half of the population everywhere. And to say that the human resource—and we believe it—is really the opportunity and potential of nations.” (UN news center, Dec. 4, 2014; photo Wikipedia)
Elizabeth Maria Molteno born Beaufort West, Cape Colony, South Africa September 24, 1852 (d. 1927). South African educator, suffragist and feminist; strong public opponent of Boer War; friend of Gandhi, who called her "peacemaker", aiding his satyagraha campaign; friend of Olive Schreiner; supported conscientious objection in World War I; opposed racial segregation.
"Open your hearts—your souls—to your brethren of colour." (Indian Opinion, Jan. 7, 1914; photo Wikipedia)
Gertrude Mongella born Ukerewe Island, Lake Victoria, Tanzania September 13, 1945. Secretary General of UN Conference on Women, Beijing 1995; UN Undersecretary for women 1995-6; diplomat High Commissioner to India 1991-2; first President Pan-African Parliament 2004-9; cabinet minister 1985-90, educator.
"Women will change the world when they lead it, but they will change it with men as their partners." (D. B. Rao, Status of World’s Women, p. 7, 1999; photo bongocelebrity.com)
Jacqueline Moudeina born Kouma, Chad April 17, 1957. First Chadian woman lawyer; human rights activist; began suit of 7 women against dictator Hissène Habré for genocide 2000; wounded by grenade in peaceful protest 2001; Ennals Human Rights Defender 2004; Right Livelihood award 2011.
“I have tried to conquer the fear. I no longer have the word fear in my vocabulary. It is a real struggle on a daily basis. I am working with women who can’t understand why the dreadful atrocities they experienced are not being recognised by the court.” (Lyndsey Unwin interview, Sept. 2011; photo rightlivelihood)
Yolande Mukagasana born Butare, Rwanda September 6, 1954. Nurse survivor of genocide 1994; playwright, author; Golden Dove for Peace prize 2002; contributed to women’s leadership in post-genocide reconciliation and culture of peace.
“Everything started with the colonial ideology, which spawned the ideology of genocide against the Tutsis.” (The Contribution of Women to Peace and Reconciliation, p. 161)
“I know that love has triumphed over hatred and that life has triumphed over death.” (ibid., p.257; photo famiflia.christiana.it)
Women in Peace
is dedicated to highlighting the achievements of extraordinary, peacemaking women from around the world.
