“Near the Spring Water” was drawn by unknown child from Lebanon, as part of the Art for World Friendship initiative started in 1953 in WILPF USA (Pennsylvnia). The art show how the children envision a world in which all people live together in harmony and equality, and where war has been abolished. The pictures are now part of Swarthmore College’s Peace Collection.
The WILPF 100 Years publication commemorates a century of impactful work, looking back at the organisation’s milestones and the voices of those who have shaped its journey. It highlights the role of women in peacebuilding, documenting how WILPF has been instrumental in promoting disarmament, social justice, and the rights of marginalized communities. Through historical narratives, interviews, and reflections from WILPF members, the publication delves into the challenges faced by the organization as well as its success in influencing international policies and frameworks.
At the Aldermaston Blockade in February 2010, WILPF displayed a striking banner reading “STOP GENOCIDAL THINKING + ACTING, OUTLAW NUKES” outside the UK’s Atomic Weapons Establishment. Part of a coordinated protest ahead of the 2010 NPT Review Conference, the action highlighted WILPF’s feminist anti-nuclear stance and long-standing commitment to disarmament and peace.
In 1998, WILPF (Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom) participated in a protest at the Faslane naval base in Scotland, which is a site for the UK’s nuclear weapons. This protest was part of a broader anti-nuclear movement that aimed to draw attention to the dangers of nuclear weapons and demand their abolition.
Over 230 women and 12 en travelled from Helsinki to Beijing on the Peace Train, sponsored by WILPF. Women from countries at war, shared thier experiences and spoke about peace and cooperation in the Peace ten.
The Seneca Women’s Encampment for a Future of Peace and Justice (WEFPJ) was a pioneering, women-only peace camp established in 1983 near the Seneca Army Depot in Romulus, New York. Co-founded by WILPF and the Upstate Feminist Peace Alliance, the encampment served as a direct response to the U.S. military’s plans to deploy Cruise and Pershing II nuclear missiles to Western Europe.
The Seneca Women’s Encampment for a Future of Peace and Justice (WEFPJ) was a pioneering, women-only peace camp established in 1983 near the Seneca Army Depot in Romulus, New York. Co-founded by WILPF and the Upstate Feminist Peace Alliance, the encampment served as a direct response to the U.S. military’s plans to deploy Cruise and Pershing II nuclear missiles to Western Europe.
The Seneca Women’s Encampment for a Future of Peace and Justice (WEFPJ) was a pioneering, women-only peace camp established in 1983 near the Seneca Army Depot in Romulus, New York. Co-founded by WILPF and the Upstate Feminist Peace Alliance, the encampment served as a direct response to the U.S. military’s plans to deploy Cruise and Pershing II nuclear missiles to Western Europe.
In 1982, WILPF launched a Stop the Arms Race (STAR) campaign which drew 10,000 women to a March in Brussels, Belgium.
In 1963, WILPF members actively participated in civil rights protests in Mississippi, advocating for federal protection of civil rights workers. Their participation in the civil rights movement underscored the organisation’s dedication to supporting grassroots activism and challenging systemic oppression.
In 1948, following the end of World War II, members of WILPF gathered in Geneva to reunite and revitalise the organisation. The event marked a pivotal moment in WILPF’s history as the organization sought to reassert its commitment to peace and international cooperation in the post-war world.
The International Circular Letter No. 2, dated May 1946, was the final circular issued by Gertrude Baer before the 10th WILPF Congress held in Luxembourg in August 1946. As the International Secretary, Baer used this letter to inform WILPF’s national sections, members, and subscribers to PAX about the upcoming congress and its significance in shaping the organization’s post-war direction.
The WILPF conference in San Francisco in 1945 coincided with the United Nations Conference on International Organisation, which led to the creation of the UN. WILPF actively lobbied for the inclusion of gender equality and peace-building principles in the UN Charter. The conference highlighted WILPF’s commitment to ensuring women’s voices were central to post-war peace efforts, advocating for human rights, disarmament, and women’s participation in global decision-making.
In June 1933, 95-year-old Charlotte Despard, a renowned suffragist, socialist, anti-fascist, and WILPF member delivered a powerful speech at an anti-fascist rally in Trafalgar Square, London. Her participation in the rally underscored her unwavering commitment to social justice, even in her later years. Despard’s voice, raised against the rise of Nazi Germany and the spread of fascism, served as an inspiration to many, demonstrating that age was no barrier to activism in the fight for peace and equality.
This photo shows an unidentified WILPF member actively publicising the 1932 World Disarmament Conference. She may also be collecting signatures for the WILPF World Disarmament Petition, a global campaign that gathered over six million signatures calling for general disarmament. The image captures WILPF’s grassroots activism and the role of women in shaping public opinion and international policy during a critical moment between the World Wars.
A letter written in 1926 denouncing Jane Addams (1860-1935) the first president of WILPF to the FBI.
In 1926, WILPF organised a nationwide peace pilgrimage, featuring seven groups marching from different parts of Britain to London. The pilgrimage aimed to raise awareness about the need for peace and disarmament, with the groups passing through towns and reaching London in a procession led by women on white horses. The WILPF hoped this activity would contribute to the upcoming League of Nations Disarmament Conference, which eventually took place in 1932.
La Maison Internationale de la Paix (the International House of Peace in English) served as WILPF’s picturesque headquarters as of 1919. It was rented to them by its owner, the man who created Esperanto. Watch this short video dating back to the 1920s for a glimpse of this beautiful house! (https://archive.org/details/motionpicture0047)
This photo captures on of the many moments where WILPF members and supporters rallied together at demonstrations for peace in the USA in the 1920s
The WILPF 1915 Congress, held in The Hague, Netherlands, was the founding meeting of WILPF. Amid the devastation of World War I, over 1,136 women from 12 countries, including many from opposing sides of the conflict, gathered to demand an end to the war and propose peaceful solutions.
For a timeline of our history and key milestones please visit our history page.
We also have archives that are housed in different parts of the world. Please click here to see a comprehensive list.
If you have come across any archives that you would like to share, please contact us at: communications@wilpf.org
Matt Mahmoudi (he/him) is a lecturer, researcher, and organizer. He’s been leading the “Ban the Scan” campaign, Amnesty International’s research and advocacy efforts on banning facial recognition technologies and exposing their uses against racialized communities, from New York City to the occupied Palestinian territories.
Berit Aasen is a sociologist by training and has worked at the OsloMet Metropolitan University on Oslo. She has 40 years of experience in research and consultancy in development studies, including women, peace, and security, and in later years in asylum and refugee studies. Berit Aasen joined WILPF Norway five years ago. She is an alternate member of the National Board of WILPF Norway, and representing WILPF Norway in the UN Association of Norway, the Norwegian 1325 network and the Norwegian Women’s Lobby. Berit Aasen has been active in the WILPF European Liaison group and is committed to strengthening WILPF sections and membership both in Europe and relations across continents.
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Prior to being elected Vice-President, Melissa Torres was the WILPF US International Board Member from 2015 to 2018. Melissa joined WILPF in 2011 when she was selected as a Delegate to the Commission on the Status of Women as part of the WILPF US’ Practicum in Advocacy Programme at the United Nations, which she later led. She holds a PhD in Social Work and is a professor and Global Health Scholar at Baylor College of Medicine and research lead at BCM Anti-Human Trafficking Program. Of Mexican descent and a native of the US/Mexico border, Melissa is mostly concerned with the protection of displaced Latinxs in the Americas. Her work includes training, research, and service provision with the American Red Cross, the National Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Centre, and refugee resettlement programs in the U.S. Some of her goals as Vice-President are to highlight intersectionality and increase diversity by fostering inclusive spaces for mentorship and leadership. She also contributes to WILPF’s emerging work on the topic of displacement and migration.
Jamila Afghani is the President of WILPF Afghanistan which she started in 2015. She is also an active member and founder of several organisations including the Noor Educational and Capacity Development Organisation (NECDO). Elected in 2018 as South Asia Regional Representative to WILPF’s International Board, WILPF benefits from Jamila’s work experience in education, migration, gender, including gender-based violence and democratic governance in post-conflict and transitional countries.
Sylvie Jacqueline NDONGMO is a human rights and peace leader with over 27 years experience including ten within WILPF. She has a multi-disciplinary background with a track record of multiple socio-economic development projects implemented to improve policies, practices and peace-oriented actions. Sylvie is the founder of WILPF Cameroon and was the Section’s president until 2022. She co-coordinated the African Working Group before her election as Africa Representative to WILPF’s International Board in 2018. A teacher by profession and an African Union Trainer in peace support operations, Sylvie has extensive experience advocating for the political and social rights of women in Africa and worldwide.
In response to the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban and its targeted attacks on civil society members, WILPF Afghanistan issued several statements calling on the international community to stand in solidarity with Afghan people and ensure that their rights be upheld, including access to aid. The Section also published 100 Untold Stories of War and Peace, a compilation of true stories that highlight the effects of war and militarisation on the region.
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WILPF uses feminist analysis to argue that militarisation is a counter-productive and ill-conceived response to establishing security in the world. The more society becomes militarised, the more violence and injustice are likely to grow locally and worldwide.
Sixteen states are believed to have supplied weapons to Afghanistan from 2001 to 2020 with the US supplying 74 % of weapons, followed by Russia. Much of this equipment was left behind by the US military and is being used to inflate Taliban’s arsenal. WILPF is calling for better oversight on arms movement, for compensating affected Afghan people and for an end to all militarised systems.
Mobilising men and boys around feminist peace has been one way of deconstructing and redefining masculinities. WILPF shares a feminist analysis on the links between militarism, masculinities, peace and security. We explore opportunities for strengthening activists’ action to build equal partnerships among women and men for gender equality.
WILPF has been working on challenging the prevailing notion of masculinity based on men’s physical and social superiority to, and dominance of, women in Afghanistan. It recognizes that these notions are not representative of all Afghan men, contrary to the publicly prevailing notion.
In WILPF’s view, any process towards establishing peace that has not been partly designed by women remains deficient. Beyond bringing perspectives that encapsulate the views of half of the society and unlike the men only designed processes, women’s true and meaningful participation allows the situation to improve.
In Afghanistan, WILPF has been demanding that women occupy the front seats at the negotiating tables. The experience of the past 20 has shown that women’s presence produces more sustainable solutions when they are empowered and enabled to play a role.
