Jovanka Broz bila je partizanka, majorka i potpukovnica u JNA.
Partizanskom pokretu se pridružuje sa 17 godina, kada je primljena u Prvu žensku partizansku četu. Članice ženske čete su obučavane da pucaju, kopaju rovove, pružaju prvu pomoć… Od 80 devojaka, Jovanka je (pored još jedne) najpreciznije pucala.
U Narodnooslobodilačkoj borbi je isprva učestvovala kao borac, kasnije kao komesarka Interne bolnice u Drvaru i Hirurške bolnice 1. armije. Tokom rata je bila ranjavana dva puta (prvi put u borbi sa četnicima i Italijanima, a drugi put u nogu tokom borbe sa Nemcima, kada je ranjena preplivala reku Lim) i preživela je tifus. Odlikovana je brojnim ordenjem, između ostalih za hrabrost i Ordenom zasluga za narod prvog reda.
Nakon udaje za Josipa Broza Tita 1952. godine, Jovanka je sa njim proputovala gotovo ceo svet i imala priliku da se sretne sa skoro svim posleratnim svetskim državnicima – Čerčilom, Nehruom, Niksonom, Kenedijem, Indirom Gandi, Sadatom, Brežnjevom, Hruščovom, kraljicom Elizabetom… Po Jovankinom svedočenju, upravo je ona bila idejni tvorac Pokreta nesvrstanih, tokom Titovog sastanka sa premijerom Indije Džavaharlalom Nehruom. Sa njegovom ćerkom, kasnije takođe premijerkom, Indirom Gandi, Jovanka je bila bliska prijateljica. Indira ju je i nakon Titove smrti dva puta posetila sa unucima.
Na Filozofskom fakultetu u Beogradu Jovanka je studirala svetsku književnost, ali zbog obaveza nikada nije stigla da diplomira.
U svetskim okvirima je Jovanka, kao uostalom i njen suprug, bila poštovana i cenjena. Ipak, nakon njegove smrti Jovanka je stavljena u svojevrsni kućni pritvor u kojem je živela do kraja života. U svakom pogledu degradirana, živela je u oštećenoj kući koja je prokišnjavala i koja je nekoliko puta bila pljačkana.
Jovanka Broz was a partisan, major and lieutenant colonel of the Yugoslavian Army.
She joined partisans at the age of 17, when she became part of the First Female Partisan
Troop. Members of this squad were taught how to fire, how to dig trenches and how to give first aid. Jovanka was the second best shooter among 80 women.
In the Second World War Jovanka was a soldier yet she later became a commissioner of the first Internal hospital in Drvar and Chirurgy hospital of the First Army. During the war she was wounded twice (first time during fights with Chetniks and Italians, second time she was wounded in the leg during the fights with Germans, when she swam wounded over the river Lim) and she survived typhus as well. She had many war and national medals.
After she got married to Josip Broz Tito, the Yugoslavian president, in 1952, Jovanka traveled the world and had a chance to meet most of the politicians of the era – Churchill, Nehru, Nixon, Kennedy, Indira Gandhi, Sadat, Brezhnev, Chruschtschow, queen Elizabeth…Jovanka underline that she was the one who got the idea about Non-aligned movement during the meeting with the prime minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru. Jovanka was a close friend with Nehru’s daughter Indira Gandhi who was a prime minister later as well. Indira and her grandchildren visited Jovanka twice after Tito’s death.
She studied world literature at the University in Belgrade yet she never finished it because of her obligations and responsibilities. In the eyes of the world, Jovanka, as well as her husband were respected and admired. After Tito’s death she was kept in the home prison until the end of her life. She was degraded in every way and left to live in a damaged house that was robbed few times.