Strong Women rock!

MsTinkerbelly · 10-07-2011, 10:10 AM

Yemen's 'Mother of the Revolution', Liberian president, peace activist share Nobel prize
'We cannot achieve democracy and lasting peace in the world unless women obtain the same opportunities as men,' committee chairman says
Below:

OSLO, Norway — Africa's first democratically elected female president, a Liberian peace activist and a woman who stood up to Yemen's authoritarian regime won the Nobel Peace Prize Friday for their work to secure women's rights, which the prize committee described as fundamental to advancing world peace.

The 10 million kronor ($1.5 million) award was split three ways between Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, peace activist Leymah Gbowee, from the same African country, and democracy proponent Tawakkul Karman of Yemen — the first Arab woman to win the prize.

"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," committee chairman Thorbjoern Jagland told reporters.

By citing Karman, the committee also appeared to be acknowledging the effects of the Arab Spring, which has challenged authoritarian regimes across the region.

Jagland told The Associated Press that Karman's award should be seen as a signal that both women and Islam have important roles to play in the uprisings.

"The Arab Spring cannot be successful without including the women in it," Jagland said.

"I am very very happy about this prize," said Karman, a 32-year-old mother of three who heads the human rights group Women Journalists without Chains.

She has been a leading figure in organizing protests against President Ali Abdullah Saleh that began in late January as part of a wave of anti-authoritarian revolts that have convulsed the Arab world.

"I give the prize to the youth of revolution in Yemen and the Yemeni people," Karman told The Associated Press.

'Iron Woman'
Jagland noted that Karman's work started before the Arab uprisings.

"Many years before the revolutions started she stood up against one of the most authoritarian and autocratic regimes in the world," he told reporters.

For Chinese winner’s wife, Nobel is no prize .
..Yemen is an extremely conservative society but a feature of the Arab Spring uprising there has been a prominent role for women who turned out for protests in large numbers.

A resident of Taiz, a city in southern Yemen that is a hotbed of resistance against Saleh's regime, Karman is a journalist and member of Islah, an Islamic party. Her father is a former legal affairs minister under Saleh.

On Jan. 23, Karman was arrested at her home for leading anti-Saleh protests. After widespread protests against her detention — it is rare for Yemeni women to be taken to jail — she was released early the next day.

Karman has been dubbed "Iron Woman, "The Mother of Revolution" and "The Spirit of the Yemeni Revolution" by fellow protesters. During a February rally in Sanaa, she told the AP: "We will retain the dignity of the people and their rights by bringing down the regime."

Liberia was 'going to hell'
Sirleaf, 72, became Africa's first democratically elected female president in 2005. She has a master's degree in public administration from Harvard University and has held top regional jobs at the World Bank, the United Nations and within the Liberian government.

Mandel Ngan / AFP - Getty Images
Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is the first elected female head of state in Africa. Sirleaf said Friday the award was recognition of the West African state's "many years of struggle for justice, peace, and promotion of development" since a brutal civil war, Reuters reported.

"I believe we (Gbowee and I) both accept this on behalf of the Liberian people, and the credit goes to the Liberian people," she told reporters outside her private residence in the capital Monrovia.

"This gives me a stronger commitment to work for reconciliation," Sirleaf added. "Liberians should be proud."

African and international luminaries welcomed the news. Many had gathered in Cape Town, South Africa on Friday to celebrate Nobel peace laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu's 80th birthday.

"Who? Johnson Sirleaf? The president of Liberia? Oooh," said Tutu, who won the peace prize in 1984 for his nonviolent campaign against white racist rule in South Africa.

"She deserves it many times over. She's brought stability to a place that was going to hell," he said.

'A force of nature'
U2 frontman Bono — who has figured in peace prize speculation in previous years — called Sirleaf an "extraordinary woman, a force of nature and now she has the world recognize her in this great, great, great way."

In elections in 1997, Sirleaf ran second to warlord-turned-president Charles Taylor, who many claimed was voted into power by a fearful electorate. Though she lost by a landslide, she rose to national prominence. Taylor was later indicted on war-crimes charges.

Sirleaf was seen as a reformer and peacemaker in Liberia when she took office six years ago. She is running for re-election Tuesday and opponents in the presidential campaign have accused her of buying votes and using government funds to campaign. Her camp denies the charges

10-07-2011, 10:10 AM	#1
MsTinkerbelly Timed Out - TOS Drama How Do You Identify?: ... Preferred Pronoun?: ... Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: ... Posts: 6,573 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 30,737 Thanked 22,925 Times in 5,021 Posts Rep Power: 0	Strong Women rock! Yemen's 'Mother of the Revolution', Liberian president, peace activist share Nobel prize 'We cannot achieve democracy and lasting peace in the world unless women obtain the same opportunities as men,' committee chairman says Below: OSLO, Norway — Africa's first democratically elected female president, a Liberian peace activist and a woman who stood up to Yemen's authoritarian regime won the Nobel Peace Prize Friday for their work to secure women's rights, which the prize committee described as fundamental to advancing world peace. The 10 million kronor ($1.5 million) award was split three ways between Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, peace activist Leymah Gbowee, from the same African country, and democracy proponent Tawakkul Karman of Yemen — the first Arab woman to win the prize. "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," committee chairman Thorbjoern Jagland told reporters. By citing Karman, the committee also appeared to be acknowledging the effects of the Arab Spring, which has challenged authoritarian regimes across the region. Jagland told The Associated Press that Karman's award should be seen as a signal that both women and Islam have important roles to play in the uprisings. "The Arab Spring cannot be successful without including the women in it," Jagland said. "I am very very happy about this prize," said Karman, a 32-year-old mother of three who heads the human rights group Women Journalists without Chains. She has been a leading figure in organizing protests against President Ali Abdullah Saleh that began in late January as part of a wave of anti-authoritarian revolts that have convulsed the Arab world. "I give the prize to the youth of revolution in Yemen and the Yemeni people," Karman told The Associated Press. 'Iron Woman' Jagland noted that Karman's work started before the Arab uprisings. "Many years before the revolutions started she stood up against one of the most authoritarian and autocratic regimes in the world," he told reporters. For Chinese winner’s wife, Nobel is no prize . ..Yemen is an extremely conservative society but a feature of the Arab Spring uprising there has been a prominent role for women who turned out for protests in large numbers. A resident of Taiz, a city in southern Yemen that is a hotbed of resistance against Saleh's regime, Karman is a journalist and member of Islah, an Islamic party. Her father is a former legal affairs minister under Saleh. On Jan. 23, Karman was arrested at her home for leading anti-Saleh protests. After widespread protests against her detention — it is rare for Yemeni women to be taken to jail — she was released early the next day. Karman has been dubbed "Iron Woman, "The Mother of Revolution" and "The Spirit of the Yemeni Revolution" by fellow protesters. During a February rally in Sanaa, she told the AP: "We will retain the dignity of the people and their rights by bringing down the regime." Liberia was 'going to hell' Sirleaf, 72, became Africa's first democratically elected female president in 2005. She has a master's degree in public administration from Harvard University and has held top regional jobs at the World Bank, the United Nations and within the Liberian government. Mandel Ngan / AFP - Getty Images Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is the first elected female head of state in Africa. Sirleaf said Friday the award was recognition of the West African state's "many years of struggle for justice, peace, and promotion of development" since a brutal civil war, Reuters reported. "I believe we (Gbowee and I) both accept this on behalf of the Liberian people, and the credit goes to the Liberian people," she told reporters outside her private residence in the capital Monrovia. "This gives me a stronger commitment to work for reconciliation," Sirleaf added. "Liberians should be proud." African and international luminaries welcomed the news. Many had gathered in Cape Town, South Africa on Friday to celebrate Nobel peace laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu's 80th birthday. "Who? Johnson Sirleaf? The president of Liberia? Oooh," said Tutu, who won the peace prize in 1984 for his nonviolent campaign against white racist rule in South Africa. "She deserves it many times over. She's brought stability to a place that was going to hell," he said. 'A force of nature' U2 frontman Bono — who has figured in peace prize speculation in previous years — called Sirleaf an "extraordinary woman, a force of nature and now she has the world recognize her in this great, great, great way." In elections in 1997, Sirleaf ran second to warlord-turned-president Charles Taylor, who many claimed was voted into power by a fearful electorate. Though she lost by a landslide, she rose to national prominence. Taylor was later indicted on war-crimes charges. Sirleaf was seen as a reformer and peacemaker in Liberia when she took office six years ago. She is running for re-election Tuesday and opponents in the presidential campaign have accused her of buying votes and using government funds to campaign. Her camp denies the charges