February 2

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Women peacemakers born today

  • 1745 Hannah More born Bristol, England (d. 1833). Proto-feminist English playwright. First female abolitionist; member of Clapham Sect, an organization for social reform.

  • 1865 Kate Crane-Gartz born Chicago, IL (d. 1949). Heiress to Crane plumbing fortune; pacifist labeled as a "Parlor Bolshevik" for her views; mother to two World War I soldiers who wrote her about the "useless slaughter" they witnessed. Opposed WWI; appealed to President Harding on behalf of conscientious objectors; provided funding for WILPF.

  • 1889 Amrit Kaur born Lucknow, India (d. 1964). Gandhian independence leader; resident of Gandhi's ashram, as secretary; imprisoned for her participation in Indian independence activities, including the 1930 Dandi March, the 1937 Bannu Mission, and the 1942 Quit India campaign. Served as a founding UNESCO delegate, 1945-46; headed Indian Ministry of Health, 1947-57; first woman president of the World Health Assembly, 1950.

  • 1937 Lea Ackermann born Völklingen, Germany. Catholic nun. Founded organization SOLWODI (Solidarity with Women in Distress) to combat sex tourism, human trafficking, and forced prostitution, 1985.

  • 1952 Christiane Taubira born Cayenne, French Guiana. French politician and human rights advocate. European Parliament, 1994-99; 20 years French National Assembly, 1993-2012; French Minister of Justice, 2012-16. Led passage of 2001 law declaring slave trade and slavery crimes against humanity.

Women's peacemaking on this day

  • 1932 WILPF presented petition bearing 6 million women's signatures to World Disarmament Conference, Geneva. "Oppressed by great fear—the fear of the destruction of our civilization—but also moved by a great will for peace. . ."

  • 1966 WILPF delivered document "An Appeal to American Women to Help Stop the War in Vietnam!" to White House.

  • 2003 Code Pink’s first peace mission to Iraq to avert war.

  • 2007 Six women, mostly grandmothers, arrested at a Portland, Oregon recruiting center for protesting Iraq War troop surge.

  • 2010 Margot Wallström was appointed UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict.