Women Advocating Peace: Analysing Interwar Discourse of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom

This thesis analysed the prevalent themes of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) during the interwar years and what this reveals about the WILPF’s objectives, development, and positioning. It did this using topic modelling and discourse analysis to analyse the reports of Congresses of the WILPF. Five topics emerged from this topic model analysis: the Kellogg-Briand Pact; Transnationalism and the New International Order (NIO); Self-Determination and Humanitarianism; Peace Advocacy and the Rise of Fascism; and Neutrality and the Spanish Civil War. The empirical chapters demonstrate that the WILPF, saw self-determination as a critical aspect of their social justice goals and of sustainable peace. When the current international structure fell short in achieving self-determination, the WILPF's started pursuing the NIO. By critiquing existing systems and advocating for comprehensive reforms from a pacifist perspective, the WILPF demonstrated its commitment to challenging systemic injustices and reshaping global governance. Moreover, from the late 1920s, the WILPF embraced the Kellogg Briand Pact as a symbol of peace and aligned it with their feminist and pacifist ideals. Thus, the WILPF strategically and intentionally used the Pact to influence public opinion and advocate for and justify its broader social justice goals. During later interwar years, the WILPF focused on transnational worldwide disarmament initiatives and perceived non-intervention and neutrality as pivotal for peace and social justice. This highlights the link between its peace advocacy, feminist goals, and broader societal progress. However, while the WILPF still presented a united front during this crucial period, internal disagreements on neutrality were also becoming more visible. Overall, the WILPF pursued the overarching goal of reshaping international norms of militarism towards pacifism, employing pragmatic strategies despite their idealistic objectives. As a pioneering platform for women in global activism, the WILPF advocated for women's participation in diplomacy. This challenged their exclusion from peace and security decision-making processes and increased the recognition of women's roles in peacebuilding. Gender permeated every aspect of their advocacy, from inherently linking pacifism with feminism to launching transnational initiatives and strategically employing maternalist language. Through influencing public opinion and broadening peace discourse, the WILPF consistently emphasised the interconnected nature of peace and freedom amidst escalating global tensions.