Eglantyne Jebb 1876 – 1928

Eglantyne Jebb was born in 1876 in Ellesmere, Shropshire. Eglantyne co-founded Save the Children in 1919 fundraising to provide famine relief for children in Germany and Austria. Eglantyne then drafted the first declaration of children’s rights that has now evolved into the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child; the most universally accepted human rights instrument in history. She did not “give life” in the traditional way by becoming a mother, but instead dedicated her life to children’s welfare and human rights and permanently changed the way the world acts towards children.

Save the Children is her lasting legacy, today the world’s independent children’s charity committed to improving the lives of vulnerable children. Eglantyne Jebb put children’s universal human rights firmly on the world agenda – a powerful testament to her rare combination of personal courage, eccentric charisma, and humane vision.