Women peacemakers born today

1858 Emmeline Pankhurst born Manchester (d. 1928). Militant suffrage leader whose direct action inspired Gandhi; mother of three suffragist women leaders.
1909 Durgabai Deshmukh born Rajahmundry, Andra Pradesh, India (d. 1981). Lawyer; postwar legislator; social reformer, Gandhian freedom fighter; nonviolent organizer from age 14; known as "[the] Mother of Social Service." While training nonviolent resisters, called "lioness" and "dictator of Madras." Arrested three times, sentenced to 9 months for participation in Salt Satyagraha, 1930; 3 years sentence, 1932; again, 1942.
1930 Isobel Finnerty born Timmins, Ontario. Canadian Senator 1999-2005, served on Foreign Affairs and Human Rights committees; activist and international peace trainer in Benin political participation 1994.
1946 Linda Ronstadt born Tucson, AZ. Antiwar Rock Singer, opposed Vietnam War and Iraq War; sang at rally against nuclear weapons Central Park 1982.
1948 Rebiya Kadeer born Altai, Xinjiang, China. "Stormer of the Sky" Uighur human rights leader; won Rafto Prize for human rights 2004; Nobel Prize nominee.
1950 Arianna Huffington born Athens, Greece. Author and columnist opposed US intervention in Balkans, Iraq War and expansion of Afghan War.

Women's peacemaking on this day

1902 First world congress against White Slave Traffic met Paris.
1985 Nairobi Conference on Women opened, through 26th.
1991 First Serbian peace group the Centre for Anti-War Action (CAWA) formed by Vesna Peŝić.
2004 In Manipur, local women marched nude, carrying a banner which read "Indian Army Rape Us" to protest federal soldiers' suspected rape and murder of Thangjam Manorama.
2009 Human rights reporter Natalia Estrimova murdered in Chechnya.