Eleanor Acland (née Cropper) born Tolson Hall, Westmorland, England February 27, 1878 (d. 1933). British peace leader, liberal politician, suffragist, and novelist. Organized Women’s Peacemaker Pilgrimage, 1926; wrote Peace Pact, 1928. (portrait devonlife)
Audrey Azoulay born La Celle-Saint Cloud, France August 4, 1972. French politician. As Minister of Culture, promoted UN Security Council resolution for protection of cultural sites against war, 2016. Director of UNESCO, 2017.
“UNESCO must ambitiously reassert its role as the conscience of the United Nations. . . It is through education, culture, the dissemination of science and sustainable development, and the defence of humanistic values that UNESCO can bring to life the driving forces, the most sure in the long term, of the United Nation’s universal project of peace and democracy.” ( to UN, Sept. 21, 2017; photo Wikipedia)
Lucy Aikin (pseudo. Mary Godolphin) born Warrington, Cheshire, England November 6, 1781 (d. 1864). “Friend of Peace.” English history writer.
“[W]ar, that thousand-headed monster of wrong. . . Once allow war not to be utterly unlawful,and we may listen to considerations of state expediency, utility. ‘Necessity, the tyrant’s plea,’ comes in.” (to W. E. Channing, June 19, 1839, in Correspondence, pp. 347-48; photo musing with clio)
Heleen Ankersmit (née Gerharda Johanna Helena) born Deventer, Overijssel, Netherlands October 20, 1869 (d. 1944). Dutch suffragist and feminist. Socialist editor and speaker, linking wartime British and German Socialist women; delegate and translator for European Socialist women’s peace conference, Bern, 1915. Postwar Communist. (photo biografisch portal)
Diane Abbott born London, England September 27, 1953. First black woman Member of British Parliament, 1987; Labor Shadow Minister of International Development. Voted against wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; led opposition to bombing of Syria, 2015. Opposed nuclear weapons; supported Palestinian rights.
“[M]ake Labour a voice for peace and international law after the disastrous wars of the Blair years.” (Stop the War Coalition, Aug. 7, 2015; photo dianeabbott.org)
Magdalena “Magda” Aelvoet born Steenokkerzeel, Flemish Brabant, Belgium April 4, 1944. Belgian politician. Helped draft St. Michael's Accords, Belgian state reforms which made Belgium a fully federalized nation, 1993. Appointed Minister of State, 1995; member European Parliament, 1994-99. Opposed NATO bombing of Kosovo as head of European Green Party, 1997-99. Belgian Deputy Prime Minister, until resignation in protest of sale of arms to Nepal, 1999-2002.
“The UN Secretary General should be asked to launch an initiative in order to reopen immediate diplomatic negotiation. Additional measures must also be immediately put in place in order to prevent the conflict from spilling over into neighbouring countries, including. . . a UN peace-keeping presence in Albania." (Environment News Service, April 1, 1999; photo standaard.be)
Adelaide Aglietta born Turin, Italy June 4, 1940 (d. 2000). Politician; Gandhian disciple. Served as juror in Red Brigades trial, 1978. Italian Radical Party Parliament delegate, 1979-85, 1987-89; Headed Green Party in European Parliament, opposing Gulf War and supporting ecological responsibility, 1990-94; member of European Parliament, 1989-99. Opposed NATO bombing of Kosovo, 1999.
“My plan resides in the knowledge that the radical road is in the first place the courage to hope, to converse, to risk.” (Wikipedia; photo portalestoria.net)
Lore Agnes (née Benning) born Bochum, Westphalia, Germany June 4, 1876 (d. 1953). Socialist labor organizer and militant antiwar activist. Supported Luxembourg general strike, 1913. Arrested for antiwar speech, 1914; arrested for attending Socialist meeting in Zürich, 1917; arrested for participating in antiwar revolution, Nov. 1918. Member of Parliament, 1919-33; arrested by Hitler regime, 1933, 1934, 1944. (photo de.wikipedia)
Inga-Britt Ahlenius born Karlstad, Sweden April 19, 1939. Swedish financial expert; UN Under-Secretary of Internal Oversight 2005; Auditor of UN mission in Kosovo 2003.
On shortcomings of United Nations: "I do not see any signs of reform in the Organization. . . Ultimately that is to the detriment of peace and stability in the world. This is as sad as it is serious." (June 14, 2010 report; photo radda-sverige.nu)
Jessie Aitken (née Fraser) born Ecclesmachan, Linlithgow, Scotland April 14, 1867 (d. 1934). New Zealand peace activist, socialist, feminist; led Woman’s Anti-Conscription delegation to Prime Minister.
Nadja Sadig Al-Ali born Germany December 2, 1966. Iraqi author; anthropologist; professor of gender studies, London. Opposed Iraq occupation; co-founded Act Together: Women's Action for Iraq 2000 opposing Iraq sanctions; member of London Women in Black.
“[T]he so-called war on terror has not only been disastrous in terms of its devastating impact on the populations of Iraq and Afghanistan, the infrastructures and quality of lives, and a drastic deterioration of women’s rights despite the rhetoric of democracy and women’s rights, but it has also let to new rifts and fragmentations in antiwar movements on the one hand and feminist movements on the other. . . I have been anti-sanctions, anti-war and anti-occupation.” (“A Feminist Perspective on the Iraq War", SOAS 2011; photo Wikipedia)
Frances Alexander born November 6, 1935, UK. English nurse and midwife; founded 5W (Women Welcome Women World Wide), 1984.
"When women join us, their families become international. And that, in a global village, is no bad thing." (Independent, March 6, 1999; photo 5W)
Jeanne Halbwachs Alexandre born Paris, France February 14, 1890 (d. 1980). French feminist; integral pacifist and socialist; opposed World War I. Advocated laying on tracks to stop draftee trains; supported peace initiative that led to foundation of WILPF, 1915.
“Women have come together [at the Hague] to demand their rights, but their claims are based on a more disinterested idea, the underlying feminism is the will to prevent war, for a just and better humanity.” (Cédric Weis, Archives du féminisme, Dec. 2004; photo BU-angers)
Mirra Alfassa born Paris, France February 21, 1878 (d. 1973). Follower of and successor to Indian spiritual leader Sri Aurobindo, dedicated to peace and global oneness. Known as The Mother by her disciples.
“I belong to no nation, no civilisation, no society, no race, but to the Divine.” (Feb. 1920, Japan, in Words of Long Ago, vol. II, p. 166)
“[A]ll the nations are essentially one and meant to express the Divine Unity upon earth through an organised and harmonious diversity.” (Aug. 15, 1954, Words of the Mother, vol. XIII, p. 43)
Rose Allatini born Vienna, Austria January 22, 1890 (d. 1980). British novelist. Published Despised and Rejected about pacifist conscientious objector and homosexual, 1918; book banned by government for deterring military recruitment.
“[G]reater even than his repugnance to the 'great war game' as a whole; greater even than his revolt against the senselessness of it, and the pity of it; greater than any personal physical fear of death or wounds was his fear of being sent out to inflict death or wounds on others. . . " (Despised and Rejected; photo cyrilscott.net)
Isabelle Alonso born Auxerre, France May 8, 1953. Militant French feminist; co-founder and President of Chiennes de Garde ("Guard Bitches") against violence toward women, especially public insults.
"We Guard Bitches protect a precious value, the dignity of Women." (Manifesto of 1999; photo fr.Wikipedia)
Gila Altmann (née Gisela Kowalke) born Wilhelmshaven, Germany May 22, 1949. Green Party member of parliament 1994; Deputy Minister for Environment and Nuclear Safety.
"Equity—between mankind and nature, between generations, between all peoples and between all nations is the only solution to overcoming the hopelessness and despair that breeds crises and wars, violence and terror. Global equity is also a matter of security and peace." (June 17, 2001; photo motoport.de)
Barbro Alving born Uppsala, Sweden January 12, 1909 (d. 1987). Pacifist; war correspondent; reported on Spanish Civil War, Finnish Winter War, Vietnam. Leader against nuclear weapons; jailed for refusal to participate in civil defense; WILPF member.
"There are times in life when an action which apparently looks negative—a no—can be positive. The civil defense duty places me in such a situation as a woman, and as a pacifist." (1954 trial, Majken Jul Sørensen, War Resisters’ International, Jan. 5, 2011; 1951 photo Wikipedia)
Christiane Amanpour born London, England January 12, 1958. International journalist; critic of Iraq War.
"All of the entire body politic in my view, whether it's the administration, the intelligence, the journalists, whoever, did not ask enough questions, for instance, about weapons of mass destruction. I mean, it looks like this was disinformation at the highest levels." (USA Today, Sept. 14, 2003; 2011 photo Wikipedia)
Ellenor Andrea Andreen born Örby, Sweden July 11, 1888 (d. 1972). Swedish doctor; radical peace leader of "Women's Non-Violent Revolt against War" when 20,000 women refused bomb shelter use 1935; major opponent of chemical and biological weapons; tried to stem Cold War for which USSR gave her Lenin Peace Prize 1953.
"[T]he most important guaranty for peace at present is the will for peace of the governments of the Eastern countries." (Congress of American Women, Oct. 23, 1949; photo ru.wikipedia)
Women in Peace
is dedicated to highlighting the achievements of extraordinary, peacemaking women from around the world.
