- An important, well-deserved award

“I congratulate the three winners of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkul Karman. This is an important recognition of the role they have played in ensuring women’s safety and right to participate in peace-building work,” said Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg.

In its announcement of this year’s award, the Norwegian Nobel Committee refers to the importance of UN Security Council resolution 1325, which for the first time addressed violence against women and girls in situations of armed conflict as a matter of international security. Norway has given high priority to efforts in this area.

“Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has made a decisive contribution to the implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 in her efforts to rebuild Liberia. Peace activist Leymah Gbowee played a key role in mobilising and organising women across ethnic and religious lines in peace and reconciliation efforts in Liberia,” said Mr Stoltenberg.

 “Tawakkul Karman has fought for democracy, human rights and women’s empowerment in Yemen, both as an activist and as a journalist. She has become a symbol of the upheavals that are now taking place in large parts of the Arab world,” said Mr Stoltenberg.

“The three laureates have each made a distinctive contribution to the empowerment of women in their countries and helped to give women a voice. This gives hope and inspiration to all those who are fighting to promote equality and equal opportunities all over the world,” said the Prime Minister.