From the National Council for Research on Women, this short description of the three women who are sharing this year’s Nobel Peace Prize.
Leymah Gbowee was featured in the film Pray the Devil Back to Hell and shared her story at our annual conference in 2009. This powerful documentary will be broadcast as part of the upcoming Women, War, and Peace series on PBS. * * *
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is a giant in world history — the first woman elected President of an African country, she has made transparency and human rights a hallmark of her tenure. Many attribute her election to the mobilization of women’s groups and leaders like Leymah Gbowee who spearheaded change. Despite some recent controversy, Johnson Sirleaf continues to stand out as an innovator and trailblazer.
Yemeni opposition leader Tawakkul Karman received news of her Nobel award from inside a tent in Change Square — the center of the resistance in Sanaa, the capital of Yemen. An outspoken critic of the government, she pushed for greater freedom of expression in her country many years before the Arab Spring.
To read the Laureates’ bios, click here.
-Bridget Crawford
