Leymah Gbowee

Leymah Gbowee, born on February 1, 1972, in central Liberia, became a peace activist, social worker, and women’s rights advocate. Her early life was significantly shaped by the outbreak of the First Liberian Civil War in 1989 when she was 17, transitioning her from a child to an adult within hours. During the conflict, she became a young mother and subsequently trained as a social worker and trauma counselor, focusing her work on former child soldiers. This period deepened her conviction in the crucial role women could play in establishing peace for future generations. She pursued formal education, earning an Associate of Arts degree in social work in 2001 from Mother Patern College of Health Sciences in Monrovia, and later a Master of Arts in Conflict Transformation from Eastern Mennonite University in 2007.

In 2002, Leymah Gbowee became a founding member and Liberia Coordinator of the Women in Peacebuilding Network (WIPNET). Inspired by a dream, she organized Christian women and, with a Muslim partner, formed an interfaith coalition known as the Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace. As the spokesperson, she led thousands of women in weeks-long nonviolent public protests, including sit-ins and a sex strike, to pressure then-President Charles Taylor to participate in peace talks in Accra, Ghana. Her strategic leadership during the negotiations, including forming a human barricade with other women, proved a decisive turning point, leading to Taylor’s resignation and the signing of a peace treaty in 2003, effectively ending Liberia’s fourteen-year civil war.

Following this historic achievement, Gbowee co-founded the Women Peace and Security Network Africa (WIPSEN-A) in Accra in 2006, serving as its Executive Director for six years. This organization focuses on promoting women’s participation in peace and security governance across Africa through leadership development programs. In 2012, she established the Gbowee Peace Foundation Africa (GPFA) in Monrovia, dedicated to providing educational and leadership opportunities for women, girls, and youth. For her nonviolent struggle for women’s safety and full participation in peace-building, Leymah Gbowee was awarded the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize, alongside Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Tawakkol Karman.