Heloise Brainerd (1881-1969) spent her life fighting for Latin American women to be brought into the fold of peace activism.
Heloise Brainerd (1881-1969) spent her life fighting for Latin American women to be brought into the fold of peace activism.
Women’s contributions to peacekeeping efforts are often overlooked, but no more. This month on Womanica we're highlighting women who have spearheaded peacekeeping initiatives all over the world — from India to South Africa to the United States. We cover women like Doria Shafik who led Egypt’s female liberation movement, as well as Coretta Scott King who was a fierce advocate for equality for Black Americans and a leader in the Civil Rights Movement. Tune in to hear the stories of women who were integral to creating peace in their communities.
History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.
Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more. Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures.
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From Wonder Media Network, I’m Meltem Burak. I’m the host and producer of the podcast, Sesta. We aim to harness the power of arts and culture to foster conversation and build peace in Cyprus. I’ll be your guest host for this month of Womanica.
This month, we’re highlighting Peacebuilders: In times of conflict, these women have stepped in, bringing their creativity and insight to help facilitate peace across the globe.
Today, we’re talking about a woman who spent her life fighting for Latin American women to be brought into the fold of peace activism. Let's talk about Heloise Brainerd.
Heloise was born in Wallingford, Vermont, on April 30, 1881. She remained in-state for her first year at Middlebury College, before moving to Northampton, Massachusetts. There, she finished her degree at Smith College, where she graduated in 1904.
Heloise had lived her whole life on the east coast… but after college, she followed a new calling, farther from home. She moved to Mexico City, and started working as a bi-lingual secretary in a law firm. While living there, she lived with local Mexican families, honing her Spanish skills.
We’re not exactly sure what propelled Heloise’s move to Mexico. Whether it was a pursuit of knowledge, a change of pace, or an invitation from abroad, Heloise’s decision to pack up her life in Vermont invited me to reflect on that busy period of life – just after graduation, still trying to feel out your place in the world…. For Heloise, that leap of faith opened the doors to the rest of her life as a peacebuilder.
After four formative years, Heloise left her job as a law firm secretary in Mexico City and moved to Washington D.C. There, she started working at the Pan-American Union, as the secretary to the Assistant Director.
The Pan-American Union was founded in 1890, with the purpose of fostering peace between all the countries in South America and the United States. The nations shared information with each other via a monthly bulletin published in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, with articles about a broad range of topics - from the social customs in Latin American countries to foreign trade statistics.
At the Pan-American Union, Heloise steadily moved up the ranks. Eventually, she became the Chief of the Division of Education. It was later expanded and renamed the Division of Intellectual Cooperation. Heloise’s job was to encourage cultural exchange between the various Latin American countries, through education, art, literature, and science.
Just as she had after graduation, Heloise jumped into her role full-force. In 1928, she spent six months visiting nearly every country in South and Central America. She took the information she learned from her travels and applied them to a topic she was passionate about: fostering connections between American and Latin American educational institutions.
Heloise encouraged American universities to invest in Latin American students studying abroad in America. She pointed out that this exchange could help Americans understand Latin American countries better, and vice versa.
Heloise also encouraged Pan-American clubs in Latin American schools. In these clubs, students could learn more about other countries across the Americas. Heloise believed that educational initiatives like these broadened students’ viewpoints about neighboring countries– and to Heloise, that understanding was vital in keeping peace between Pan American nations.
Finally, after over 25 years working for the Pan American Union, on June 22, 1935, Heloise resigned from her role. But her work fostering peace in Latin America was far from over. Soon afterwards, she started working for the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. There, she was the chair of the Division of Inter-American Work.
Her goal in that position was to bring Latin American women into the peace movement. She continued traveling all around South America, often for long periods of time, connecting with women in various countries.
In recognition for her work, Heloise received The Medal of Public Instruction from the country of Venezuela and the Order of Merit from Ecuador to honor her contributions to education and peace-keeping. Multiple scholarships in her name were set up in the US to help fund Latin American high school students studying in America.
Heloise spent nearly 20 years working for the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. She resigned in 1953, and was made an Honorary Vice President in 1954.
Heloise died on February 16, 1969 at the age of 88. By encouraging citizens of Latin American countries to learn more about their neighbors, she promoted peace and fostered international connections.
All month, we’re talking about peacebuilders. For more information, find us on Facebook and Instagram @womanicapodcast.
Special thanks to co-creators Jenny and Liz Kaplan, for having me as a guest host.
Talk to you tomorrow!