Leymah Gbowee of Liberia, left; Liberian President Ellen Johnson
Sirleaf, center; and Tawakul Karman of Yemen, right, were recognized for
their nonviolent activism.
Nobel Peace Prize: Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Leymah Gbowee And Tawakkul Karman Awarded: The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to three women "for their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women's rights to full participation in peace-building work".
Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Leymah Gbowee And Tawakkul Karman all received the honour, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced on Friday.
Johnson-Sirleaf, the Liberian president, is Africa's first democratically elected female president. The Nobel committee said she had "contributed to securing peace in Liberia, to promoting economic and social development, and to strengthening the position of women."
Leymah Gbowee was recognised for mobilising and organising women "across ethnic and religious dividing lines to bring an end to the long war in Liberia, and to ensure women's participation in elections".
And Tawakkul Karman, the woman said to be leading pro-democracy protests in Yemen, was given the award for playing "a leading part in the struggle for women's rights and for democracy and peace" in her country..
The committee said it hoped the award would help end the suppression of women "that still occurs in many countries, and to realise the great potential for democracy and peace that women can represent."
