Four eminent Nobel Peace Laureates from several countries are attending three days Nobel Women’s Conference in Liberia, under the theme: “Reclaiming Our Space.” The conference is taking place at the Monrovia City Hall, as guest of Liberia’s Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Leymah Gbowee.
Madam Gbowee is founder of the Gbowee Foundation Liberia, and shares the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize with former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
The four courageous women include Rigoberta Menchu Tum, Jody Williams, Shirin Ebadi, Tawakkol Karman.
Making separate remarks during the opening session of the conference, the visiting guests express gratitude to Madam Gbowee and the people of Liberia for preserving the peace of the country since the end of the civil conflict.
They encourage every Liberian woman to continue to work harder and forget about the many speeches, focusing on how they can fight corruption, poverty eradication and ignorance.
They also urge Liberia to take advantage of solar power since the country enjoys sufficient sunshine that can generate electricity.
The Nobel Laureates also urged young Liberia women to raise their voices, if they have to reclaim their space among fellow women in the country and the world at large, stressing that women should stand up and speak the truth no matter where they find themselves in the society.
Earlier, Liberia’s Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor, in special remarks notes that the number of women’s representation in government, including the National Legislature has considerably dropped since former Liberian Noble Peace Prize Laureate, former President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf left power.
However, she expresses optimism that in the pending 2020 senatorial elections, more women will be elected in government, particularly in the Senate and the House of Representatives, adding that that women should remain engaged by finding their passion to reclaiming their space in Liberia.
VP Taylor says women not be afraid to speak on critical issues affecting their lives and they should always be an example in their advocacies.Nobel Peace Laureate Leymah Gbowee encourages Liberian women to reclaim their space by speaking out and not to remain silent, adding that no one will give the women their space unless they themselves fight to reclaim it.
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She applauds her four colleagues for honoring her foundations’ invitation to participate in the very crucial women conference which has stimulated the women of Liberia attending the conference, promising to provide them mentorship in their endeavor.
The Nobel Women’s Initiative was established in 2006 to magnify the power and visibility of women working in countries around the world for peace, justice and equality.
By Emmanuel Mondaye–Editing by Jonathan Browne
