Born: 25 August 1876, United Kingdom
Died: 17 December 1928
Country most active: International
Also known as: NA
The following bio was written by Emma Rosen, author of On This Day She Made History: 366 Days With Women Who Shaped the World and This Day In Human Ingenuity & Discovery: 366 Days of Scientific Milestones with Women in the Spotlight, and has been republished with permission.
Eglantyne Jebb studied history at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, from 1895 to 1898, aiming to become a school teacher. Her experience teaching at St. Peter’s Junior School highlighted the widespread poverty faced by children. She later joined the Charity Organisation Society in Cambridge, conducting research and publishing “Cambridge, a Study in Social Questions” in 1906.
In the lead-up to World War I, Eglantyne engaged in social and political activities in Cambridge. She established the Boys’ Employment Registry and set up a similar registry for girls alongside Margaret Hill. Jebb’s romantic relationship with Margaret Keynes was deeply affectionate but constrained by societal norms.
In 1913, inspired by Charles Roden Buxton, she journeyed to Macedonia for the Macedonian Relief Fund. She later revealed the harsh realities of enemy countries through newspaper extracts in the Cambridge Magazine.
From 1918 to 1928, Eglantyne resided in Geneva. She recognized the plight of German and Austro-Hungarian children due to war and blockade, leading to the formation of the “Fight the Famine Council” and the Save the Children Fund in 1919. The Fund’s success prompted the establishment of the International Save the Children Union in 1920.
Eglantyne’s strategic approach elevated the Fund’s work. It addressed refugee crises and famines in various regions, and in 1923, she formulated the Declaration of the Rights of the Child. The League of Nations adopted it in 1924, shifting the focus to promoting the Declaration.
In 1925, the first International Child Welfare Congress embraced the Declaration’s principles, spreading its influence worldwide.