Focusing on Women’s Empowerment

November 10, 2011

Nobel Peace Laureate Leymah Gbowee (blue top and white slacks) and Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield with luncheon participants.

Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield hosted 18 prominent women to honor Liberian Nobel Peace Laureate Leymah Gbowee. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Ms. Gbowee, and Tawakkol Karman received the 2011 Nobel Peace Award "for their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights to full participation in peace-building work." Ms. Gbowee,
women activists and government officials, heads of UN agencies, and Embassy personnel discussed Liberian women’s challenges in particular and youth empowerment in general.

Ms. Gbowee pointed out that poverty has exposed Liberian women to be sexually active at a very tender age (11 to 13) and without education and useful skills they become helpless mothers, unable to be gainfully employed to take care of themselves and their children. She said the Nobel Peace Prize has added a unique breadth of responsibility on her to fully be engaged in reconciliation efforts and empowerment of Liberian youth. Since her return to Liberia, she has been on radio programs talking about reconciliation.

Many of the guests at the luncheon were women activists who played a central role in the peace process in Liberia in 2003. Their struggle for peace was highlighted in the documentary produced by Abigail Disney titled, “Pray the Devil Back to Hell.” The guests acknowledged that there is a lot of work that needs to be done to alleviate the challenges of Liberian women. At the end of the luncheon, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield thanked the guests and urged them to continue their advocacy work.