Our time is now, say Nobel winners

The winners of the Nobel peace prize have vowed to work harder to make the world see women not just as victims of conflicts, but as leaders in efforts to resolve them.

Speaking in Oslo before today’s ceremony, Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, her compatriot Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkul Karman of Yemen said they felt the award had empowered their struggle for women’s rights, democracy and peace in their home countries and beyond.

“No longer will the world exclude us,” said Ms Gbowee, 39 who has challenged Liberia’s warlords. “Because the world is finally saying to us: your skills abilities have been recognised and we are prepared to work with you.” The peace prize committee recognised the three women for championing women’s rights where oppression is common and for helping women participate in peace-building.

Ms Karman, a female icon of the protest movement in Yemen and the first Arab woman to receive the award, proclaimed that “the period that women appears as victims” has ended.

Ms Sirleaf, Africa’s first democratically elected female president who won reelection in October, said the Nobel had strengthened her commitment to “to work for women’s empowerment”.