'It is now more dangerous to be a woman than a soldier in modern conflicts.'
– Major General Patrick Cammaert, 2008, former UN Peacekeeping Operation commander
in Democratic Republic of Congo.
WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE
'It is now more dangerous to be a woman than a soldier in modern conflicts.'
– Major General Patrick Cammaert, 2008, former UN Peacekeeping Operation commander
in Democratic Republic of Congo.
WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) was founded in 1915 during World War I and is the oldest women's peace group in the world. At that time, women from North America and Europe came together in The Hague to protest the war and violence. Although coming from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, political beliefs and philosophies, they were all united in their rejection of the theory that war was inevitable. More than a thousand women came together from warring and neutral nations to work out a plan to end World War I and lay the basis for a permanent peace. Women defied all obstacles to their plan to meet together in wartime with an aim to eliminate the causes and legitimisations of war. They established an international committee of 'Women for Permanent Peace' which four years later was re-named 'Women's International League for Peace and Freedom' (WILPF). They passed twenty Resolutions and sent delegations to fourteen countries. They also met President Woodrow Wilson, who said that their resolutions were the best foundations for peace.
Out of this meeting the WILPF was born and since then its members have been actively working for a world without war. The purpose of founding WILPF was to have an organisation through which women could work for peace and freedom by asserting women's right and responsibility to participate in decision-making in all aspects of peace and security. They envision a world in which racial, social and economic justice are given rights for all rather than lofty goals.[i] WILPF works to achieve the peaceful world through universal disarmament and the abolition of all forms of violence. It strives to establish political, social, and psychological conditions which can assure peace, freedom, and justice for all.[ii] As an organisation, it works on issues of disarmament, human rights and peace on local, national and international levels.
WILPF is non-governmental organisation which has consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council (E