Jadranka Miličević

Overview

Jadranka Miličević born Sarajevo, Bosnia, Yugoslavia April 2, 1957. Peace activist; co-founder Women in Black Belgrade 1991; founded CURE Foundation 2005.

Quotations

"We have to reach women and tell them if they don't take their future and the future of their children into their own hands, no one will, It is very important for women to work together. By sharing our problems and talking about them together, we can more easily overcome them. We don't want a state without men, but we do want our place and attention. No one takes that seriously." (LA Times, Oct. 7, 1998; photo nvozenegranhova)

Elizabeth Smith Miller

Overview

Elizabeth Smith Miller born Geneseo, NY September 20, 1822 (d. 1911). Radical feminist reformer, Quaker-educated abolitionist; introduced bloomer in women's dress 1849.

Quotations

"We [my cousin Eliz. Stanton and I] had so long deplored our common misery in the toils of crippling fashion, that this means of escape was hailed with joy, and she at once joined me in wearing the new costume." ("Reflections on Women's Dress", Arena, Sept. 1892; photo Library of Congress)

Emma Miller

Overview

Emma Miller born Chesterfield, England June 26, 1839 (d. 1917). Australian peace activist; suffragist; labor reformer. As President of Queensland Women's Peace Army, opposed conscription in World War I.

Quotations

On war: "Those who make the quarrel should be the only ones to fight."

"[T]hen conscience was satisfied, unpopularity should not matter—respectability meant acting in humanity's interest." (National Library of Australia; photo Wikipedia)

Jill Jackson Miller

Overview

Jill Jackson Miller (née Evelyn Merchant) born Lawrence, MO July 25, 1913 (d. 1995). Film actress, singer, author, speaker, composed popular peace song.

Quotations

"Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me!" (summer 1955; photo peacehistory.org)

Kate Millett

Overview

Kate Millett born St. Paul, MN September 14, 1935. Feminist author who led United Women's Contingent in March against Vietnam War 1971; influential second-wave feminist text Sexual Politics called for social revolution without violence or counter-revolution, 1969; arrested and deported from Iran 1979.

Quotations

"I don’t want, for example, a Green Beret, a Zippo for burning down villages, the ear of a dead of peasant, the burden of the charred flesh a Vietnamese child. Nor do I have any interest in acquiring the habits of violence, warfare (unless in the just cause of self-defense—a cause I cannot foresee ever happening in American foreign policy), or the white man's imperialist racism, or rape or the capitalist exploitation of poverty and ignorance." (Sexual Politics, 1968)

On her pacifism: "I want to speak in favor of and as an advocate of non-violence." (Rosemary Reuther, "Feminism and Peace"; photo Cynthia MacAdams)

Myrtilla Miner

Overview

Myrtilla Miner born Brookfield, NY March 4, 1815 (d. 1864). Pioneer of nonviolent resistance; abolitionist; educator. Founded first normal school for African-Americans in Washington DC in the face of threats to burn it down, 1851. (1850s photo wikicommons)

Quotations

“I think God designs to employ the feminine principle more in this age for the redemption of the world.” (Memoir, p.44; photo Wikipedia)

Mirabehn

Overview

Mirabehn (née Madeleine Slade) born Reigate, Surrey, England November 22, 1892 (d. 1982). Long-time associate of Gandhi; daughter of British admiral; arrested several times for civil disobedience.

Quotations

"Gandhi, who served the cause of oppressed the cause of oppressed India through fearless truth and non-violence, a cause which, though focused in India, was for the whole of humanity." (Spirit's Pilgrimage, p. 60; photo c. 1980 GandhiServ)

Olga Misar

Overview

Olga Misař born Vienna, Austria December 12, 1876 (d. 1950). Founding member of WILPF 1915; secretary Union of Conscientious Objectors 1923-36; exiled; pacifist; suffragist; feminist.

Quotations

“This task [of enforcing peace] falls to us women especially, and means an incredible work of many decades by hundreds and many thousands of people who each in this sphere must work very hard to give their children, their entire environment, teaching respect for justice, both in international as in personal behavior. If this carried out, one can hope that the international pressure in the individual states will be so strong that such wars are made impossible.” (WILPF Report, 1915, p. 90; 1913 photo onb.ac.at)

Ruth Misselwitz

Overview

Ruth Misselwitz born Zützen, Brandenburg, Germany February 3, 1952. Protestant pastor. Founded Pankow Peace Circle, opposing East German regime, 1981; leader of Women for Peace, 1982. Led church peace and environmental movement in GDR; Action Reconciliation chairman.

Quotations

"The rainbow has many colors, so it should be with the social order, even with religion." (Die Zeit, March 18, 1988; photo EKIR news)

Gabriela Mistral

Overview

Gabriela Mistral (née Lucila Godoy Alcayaga) born Vicuña, Chile April 7, 1889 (d. 1957). Chilean poet and diplomat; Nobel Prize in Literature 1945; educational adviser to Mexico 1922; Representative to League of Nations Intellectual Committee 1926; Consul to Madrid during Spanish Civil War; co-founder of UNICEF.

Quotations

"We are guilty of many errors and many faults, but our worst crime is abandoning the children, neglecting the fountain of life." (Su Nombre es Hoy; photo roadtoavonlea.com)

Hannah Mitchell

Overview

Hannah Mitchell (née Webster) born Hope Woodlands, England February 11, 1872 (d. 1956). British suffragist; feminist; orator. Democratic Socialist; pacifist; opposed World War I. Member of No Conscription Fellowship and WILPF; member of Manchester City Council, 1924-35; magistrate, 1926-1937.

Quotations

"All my life I had hated war. . . The idea of men killing each other had always seemed so hideous to me, that my first conscious thought after my baby was born was that he should be brought up to resist war. His father fully agreed with me in this resolve. Apart from the ethical point of view, we both believed that war in the main is a struggle for power, territory or trade, to be fought by the workers, who are always the losers." (Mitchell, The Hard Way Up; photo Spartacus Educational)

Danielle Mitterrand

Overview

Danielle Mitterand (née Gouze) born Verdun, France October 29, 1924 (d. 2011). As French first lady, publicly supported human rights for Tibet, Sahrawi, Central America, Kurds, 1981-95. Awarded North South Prize, 1996.

Quotations

On the US embargo of Cuba: “[T]he greatest international injustice I have ever seen.'' (Associated Press, Nov. 13, 2005)

“I have joined the World March for Peace and Nonviolence like millions of human beings who want to live with good intelligence, to share the richness of co-existence and to give Peace a chance.” (World March for Peace, Oct. 2009; photo 29minutes.fr)

Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka

Overview

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.

Quotations

“[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)

Yun-Sook Mo

Overview

Yun-Sook Mo born Wonsan, North Korea March 5, 1910 (d. 1990). Foremost Korean woman poet, influenced by Tolstoy and Sarojini Naidu. South Korean representative to UN General Assembly, 1948.

Quotations

“In the deserted valley by the mountain, I am looking at the soldier lying by himself. You had been a proud second lieutenant of the ROK Army. Your heart still pumps out warm blood. The blood's smell is stronger than the scent of roses." (Global Intelligence Files, Oct. 18, 2012; photo Wikipedia)

Federica Mogherini

Overview

Federica Mogherini born Rome, Italy June 16, 1973. Youngest woman to become Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, 2014; second woman to serve as EU High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, 2014. Opposed military response to Russian war in Ukraine, condemning illegal occupation of Crimea. Made peace with Sudan, saving Mariam Ibrahim from death sentence, 2014. Announced agreement with Iran on behalf of EU, 2015.

Quotations

“We need a Palestinian state—that is the ultimate goal and this is the position of all the European Union. . . It is not only the people of Gaza that can’t afford having a fourth war, all the world cannot afford this.” (Times of Israel, Nov. 8, 2014; photo women’s forum)

Faiza Jama Mohamed

Overview

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.

Quotations

“[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)

Narges Mohammadi

Overview

Narges Mohammadi born Zanjan, Iran April 21, 1972. Iranian physicist and human rights advocate. Chairwoman of the National Peace Council. Arrested 5 times; sentenced to 11-year prison term for advocacy efforts, charged with “acting against the national security.” Again arrested by Iranian authorities, 2015. Received Alexander Langer Award, 2009.

In recognition of her indomitable spirit – and the bravery shown by thousands of Iranians at the forefront of the woman-life-freedom movement – Mohammadi has won the 2023 Nobel peace prize. Mohammadi is currently serving a 10-year sentence and is being held in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison.

Quotations

“When I am sentenced to 11 years in prison for the charge of making efforts to attain peace and human rights in the Iranian society, [it does not matter even] if I endure 100 years in prison, [because] my responsibilities toward the society, humanity, and freedom of opinion and expression [will not change]. . . We will achieve [our goal] through peaceful and civil means, and not through acts against [national] security.” (Sep. 28, 2011, persian2english.com; photo funkaid.com)

Amina J. Mohammed

Overview

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.

Quotations

“[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)

Rutuparna Mohanty

Overview

Rutuparna Mohanty born Kapaleswar, Kendrapara district, Odisha, India November 12, 1971. Indian human rights lawyer; “The Fighter Woman” of Gandhian heritage; founded Maa Ghara (Mothers Home) shelter, 2004; Joan Kroc WomanPeacemaker, 2013; began India Women Peacemakers Award, 2014.

Quotations

“Always trust your instincts. They know what they’re talking about.” (Odisha News Insight, May 26, 2016; photo orissadiary.com)

Dikka Moller

Overview

Diderike Annette Møller born Østfold, Norway June 18, 1838 (d. 1912). "Peace Mother" Norwegian peace activist; founded Norwegian Peace Association 1895; obtained 50,000 signatures for peace petition 1898; important contributor to peaceful separation from Sweden 1905.

Quotations

"Our league respects the fatherland's holy cause, as we hope that war would be replaced by arbitral judgment, which guarantees each nation's independence while eliminating the cause of discord." (Store Norwegian Lexicon: Møller; photo geni.com)