April 13

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Women peacemakers born today

  • 1867 Emma Sproson born West Bromwich, Staffordshire, England (d. 1936). British suffragist, twice imprisoned for suffrage protests, 1907. Leader of nonviolent Women's Freedom League.

  • 1869 Vida Goldstein born Portland, Victoria, Australia (d. 1949). Australian feminist and opponent of draft. First woman in English-speaking world to run for office, 1903; founding president of Women's Peace Army, opposing World War I and draft, 1915. WILPF founding member.

  • 1914 Charlotte “Chet” E. Keyes (née Schachmann) (d. 1980). Peace activist & antiwar poet.

  • 1947 Zaibun Siraj born Singapore. Human rights activist. Co-founded feminist Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE), 1985.

  • 1948 Sue Doughty born York, England. British Quaker; pacifist. Liberal Democratic member of Parliament, 2001-05.

  • 1954 Virginia Gamba born San Martín, Argentina. Argentine professor, expert in disarmament; UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict 2017; UN Assistant Secretary for Chemical Weapons in Syria 2016; Director UN Disarmament 2012-4; Expert consultant on African Small Arms 2007-9; Director UN Inst. of Disarmament Research 1992-96.

  • 1955 Irina Khakamada born Moscow. Economics professor; Russian liberal politician. Member of Duma, 1993-2003; Vice-Speaker of Duma, 2000-03. Received 4 million votes for president, 2004.

  • 1957 Amy Goodman born Bayshore, NY. Investigative journalist. Founded Democracy Now! The War & Peace Report, 1996. Arrested for antiwar protest at White House, 2003.

Women's peacemaking on this day

  • 1915 47 American peace women departed New York on the S.S. Noordam to attend the Women's Peace Congress at The Hague.

  • 1918 Mrs. Harley Stafford of Montrose, MI, tarred and feathered for “disloyal remarks” during World War I.

  • 1918 Socialist doctor Eva Harding of Topeka, KS, acquitted of conspiracy to violate Draft Act.

  • 1921 In Cleveland, Carrie Chapman Catt delivered a fiery antiwar speech to League of Women Voters after President Harding rejected League of Nations. “No, you shall no longer kill your fellow man.”

  • 1930 Indian Women's Pickets against liquor began at Dandi.

  • 1933 Ruth Bryan Owen appointed first woman to head diplomatic mission, Denmark.

  • 1962 Rachel Carson's Silent Spring published.

  • 1977 First Protest of Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo Buenos Aires; 14 women led by Azucena de Vincenti.

  • 1993 Six women of Global Peace Movers arrested Santa Rosa for establishing an IRS medical clinic.

  • 2011 14 Female Members of US Congress joined WomenThrive fast against cutting food aid.

  • 2011 Hundreds of Syrian Women of Bayda marched on coastal highway protesting. "We want the men of Bayda!"

  • 2012 Cindy Sheehan refused tax $105,000 to "stop being accessories to our government's war crimes and crimes against humanity."

  • 2015 Ten members of WILPF Oceania boarded a peace train at Istanbul bound for the WILPF centenary conference at The Hague.