Women & Peace
Three women have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2011 and these women symbolize nonviolent struggles to improve their nations and advance the role of women’s rights. Sharing the award are Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Africa’s first democratically elected female head of state; her countrywoman Leymah Gbowee, a peace activist who challenged warlords; and Tawakul Karman, a Yemeni human rights leader seeking to overthrow an autocratic regime as part of the regionwide “Arab Spring” movement.
This demonstrates that women are increasing taking part in peace activities in almost all parts of the globe.
The citation of the award read by Thorbjorn Jagland, head of the Nobel committee, based in Oslo, said: “We cannot achieve democracy and lasting peace in the world unless women obtain the same opportunities as men to influence developments at all levels of society.” The Norwegian panel said it hoped the award would help end “the suppression of women that still occurs in many countries, and to realize the great potential for democracy and peace that women can represent.” The trio joined an exclusive group of about a dozen female Nobel peace laureates among the scores of men who have won the honor over the decades.
Women have long been activists for peace, in large part because they and their children are too often civilian victims of war. Besides peace, mainstream women’s activism of the last 150 years has also focused on issues such as domestic violence and equality in the workplace and government. But in tackling such problems as being treated by men as sexual objects, activists also have objectivized women as victims. The Nobel committee should award many more peace prizes to women in order to assist them in being global leaders against war.
