In what some may consider a surprise move, the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to three women, and not to leaders of the Arab Spring, as many believed it would be.  The prize was awarded to Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberian peace activist Leymah Gbowee, and Yemeni Tawakul Karman who has campaigned for democracy in the Arab nation.

The announcement cited the three women’s “non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights to full participation in peace-building work.” 

The selection aimed to shed light on the important role women play in ending conflict.

“It is the Norwegian Nobel Committee’s hope that the prize to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkul Karman will help to bring an end to the suppression of women that still occurs in many countries, and to realise the great potential for democracy and peace that women can represent.”