Statecraft & Independence
Landmark
Leymah Gbowee
born 1972
Organised the women's movement that helped end Liberia's civil war
Landmark is level 2 of 4 in the Liberia Hall of Fame: a first that opened a door, or the pre-eminent figure of their generation in this country. See how the levels work.
Why they are here
She brought Christian and Muslim women together into a mass non-violent movement that helped force an end to Liberia's civil war, and shared the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize for it.
Born in Monrovia in February 1972, Gbowee built a movement that crossed Liberia's religious divide at a moment when the country was being torn apart along every other line. Its sit-ins and public pressure are widely credited with helping push the warring parties to the negotiating table.
She received the Nobel Peace Prize on 7 October 2011, alongside Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Tawakkol Karman.
She received the Nobel Peace Prize on 7 October 2011, alongside Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Tawakkol Karman.
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