The nobel peace prize was awarded today to three women who deserve both our attention and our praise. The winners were Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, peace activist Leymah Gbowee, and Tawakul Karman of Yemen, a pro-democracy campaigner.
There are a number of reasons that I am thrilled about this. First, they are extraordinary women in their own right. I know more about President Johnson Sirleaf than I do about the other two, but what I can say about her is that I admire her grace and confidence in the face of a world where she is defining where the “glass ceilings” are.
Second, I am thrilled at the message this sends to the world. A woman has not received the prize since 2004 when Wangari Maathai was honored for her work. This decision sends a message about the important role that women play in fostering peace in the world, and will continue to play going forward.
Finally, I am tickled that three women were chosen together. I secretly (and now not so secretly) picture the committee in a locked room, distraught: “We have SO MANY deserving women! How in the world are we going to choose one? Wait, I know… let’s just choose three.” I know that is probably not what happened, but it is wonderful to think about nonetheless.
What I do know is that today, I am so proud to be a woman. I hope that in my own lifetime I can achieve even a small fraction of what these women have accomplished.
[I also want to recognize that there are so many other woman deserving of this prize. Angela Merkel, for example, or Michele Bachelet. I didn't want to forget them, even in a small way by putting them in my li'l blog post.]
Photo cred: Left: Chester Higgins Jr./The New York Times; center: Jim Watson/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images; right: Ahmed Jadallah/Reuters, all via the New York Times.
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