September 23

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Women peacemakers born today

  • 1555 Louise de Coligny born Châtillon-sur-Loing, France (d. 1620). Peacemaker consort of Prince William the Silent of Orange who persuaded her step-son Philip William of Orange to accept the Treaty of Antwerp 1609 starting the Twelve Years Truce in the Dutch War of Independence, granting Netherlands independent status and acceptance of trade in Indonesia. A humanist scholar, Louise was influenced by Grotius, whose classic Freedom of the Seas was published a month before the treaty.

  • 1823 Sara Jane Lippincott born Pompey, NY (d. 1904). Prolific author and lecturer, published under the pseudonym Grace Greenwood. Pacifist who opposed death penalty, and condemned Mexican War.

  • 1863 Mary Church Terrell born Memphis, TN (d. 1954). Black social reformer, spoke in German as only non-White woman at WILPF meeting Zürich 1919, and International Congress of Women Berlin 1904.

  • 1941 Navi Pillay born Durban, South Africa. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights 2008; Judge International Criminal Court 2003-08; first woman judge Rwanda War Crimes 1995-2003, President 1999.

  • 1970 Ani DiFranco born Buffalo, NY. American antiwar singer; opposes racism, sexism, homophobia, poverty; supported Green Party.

Women's peacemaking on this day

  • 1913 Kasturba Gandhi sentenced to 3 months hard labor.

  • 1983 Nine Halifax Women for Peace found guilty for Greenham protest.

  • 1988 Scandinavian women's Declaration of Global Popular Summit at UN.

  • 1989 Over 200 arrested Johannesburg in rally of Women Against Repression, Pretoria.

  • 2007 British authorities arrested Maya Evans for demanding foreign policy changes in a “U Turn for Peace” protest at the Labour Party Conference, Bournemouth.

  • 2011 Four Ladies in White protesters arrested Havana parliament building.

  • 2015: Amanda Lickers led four First Nation women in disruption and shutdown of tar sands pipeline hearing, Montreal.