Germaine Renée Suzanne Malaterre-Sellier (1889–1967) was a French nurse, feminist, suffragist and

pacifist Pacifism is the opposition or resistance to war, militarism (including conscription and mandatory military service) or violence. Pacifists generally reject theories of Just War. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaign ...

. From 1920, she was Vice-President of the ''Union féminine pour la Société des Nations'' ( Women's Union for the League of Nations). In parallel, she was first Secretary-General, then Vice-President of the ''

Union Française pour le Suffrage des Femmes The French Union for Women's Suffrage (UFSF: french: italic=no, Union française pour le suffrage des femmes) was a French feminist organization formed in 1909 that fought for the right of women to vote, which was eventually granted in 1945. The Un ...

'' (French Women's Suffrage Union). During the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, she was the principal nurse of the ''Association des Dames de France'' under the

Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...

. She is remembered for her heroic service, frequently being associated with the war veterans. After her activities as a pacifist, she participated in discussions of the parliamentary committee on social affairs, especially those relating to children. It was Germaine Malaterre-Sellier who drafted the committee's report. She continued to serve public institutions in the 1930, becoming the first French women to be appointed a technical adviser to the

League of Nations The League of Nations (french: link=no, Société des Nations ) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference that ...

in 1932. In 1937, she conducted a survey in the United States and Canada on behalf of the League of Nations. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, she supported the

French Resistance The French Resistance (french: La Résistance) was a collection of organisations that fought the German occupation of France during World War II, Nazi occupation of France and the Collaborationism, collaborationist Vichy France, Vichy régim ...

. Germaine Malaterre-Sellier died in Paris on 29 May 1967.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Malaterre-Sellier, Germaine 1889 births 1967 deaths Health professionals from Paris French women nurses French nurses French feminists French women's rights activists French suffragists French pacifists Pacifist feminists Officers of the Legion of Honour 20th-century French women