Nobel Peace Prize split between three women

"We cannot achieve democracy and lasting peace in the world unless women achieve the same opportunities as men to influence developements at all levels of society."
Hi friends just thought to share this piece of with you...It is a whole baggage of inspiration for all women out there.

This year's Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded jointly to three women - Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberian Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkul Karman of Yemen.

They were recognised for their "non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women's rights to full participation in peace-building work".

Mrs Sirleaf is Africa's first female elected head of state, Ms Gbowee is a peace activist and Ms Karman is a leading figure in Yemen's pro-democracy movement.

Announcing the prize in Oslo, Nobel Committee chairman Thorbjorn Jagland said: "We cannot achieve democracy and lasting peace in the world unless women achieve the same opportunities as men to influence developements at all levels of society."

"It is the Norwegian Nobel Committee's hope that the prize... will help to bring an end to the suppression of women that still occurs in many countries, and to realise the great potential for democracy and peace that women can represent."

The women had led the non-violent struggle for women's political rights, said the committee
Mrs Karman heads the Yemeni organisation Women Journalists without Chains and has been jailed several times over her campaigns for press freedom and her opposition to the government of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

She was recognised for playing a leading part in the struggle for women's rights in Yemen during the Arab Spring pro-democracy uprisings "in the most trying circumstances".

Ms Karman, a mother of three, told the Associated Press she was dedicating the prize "to the youth of revolution in Yemen and the Yemeni people".

She is the first Arab women to win a Nobel Peace Prize. Mr Jagland said the oppression of women was "the most important issue" in the Arab world.

He said awarding the prize to Ms Karman was "giving the signal that if it [the Arab Spring] is to succeed with efforts to make democracy, it has to include women".

Ms Sirleaf, 72, was elected to office in 2005, following the end of Liberia's 14-year civil war. She had said she would only run for one term, but is standing for re-election next week.

Ms Gbowee was a leading critic of the violence of the civil war, mobilising women across ethnic and religious lines in peace activism - in part through implementing a "sex strike" - and encouraging them to participate in elections.

"She has since worked to enhance the influence of women in West Africa during and after war," said the award citation.

The women will share the $1.5m (£1m) prize money.

The BBC's World Affairs correspondent Mike Wooldridge says that the Nobel Peace Prize originally recognised those who had already achieved peace, but that its scope has broadened in recent years to encourage those working towards peace and acknowledge work in progress.
...........

"It is the Norwegian Nobel Committee's hope that the prize... will help to bring an end to the suppression of women that still occurs in many countries, and to realise the great potential for democracy and peace that women can represent."
.ENDS..............