Women human rights defenders meet at the 2017 Nobel Women's Initiative Conference. Credit: author.“It’s just inspiring to have this in our city,” says Jana. She’s 16 years old and has come from Dusseldorf with her mother to the public talk by five female Nobel Peace Prize laureates hosted at the historic Kaiser-Friedrich-Halle in Mönchengladbach, Germany.
“We want all the barriers down,” declared Nobel peace prize winner Mairead Maguire yesterday, opening the 10th anniversary of the Nobel Women’s Initiative gathering in Dusseldorf, Germany. She was, incidentally, joking, referring to the fact that – due to variations in height and levels of jet leg – some of the five Nobel peace prize winners at the summit would be standing to deliver their opening address, while others would be sitting. But as the laureates spoke, the room moved from laugher to respectful silence as each laid out her vision for what a world without barriers to feminist solidarity might look like.
“Mankind's feeling of responsibility to create a decent life and make it worth living with dignity has always been stronger than the will to kill life.” Tawakkol Karman could be described by in so many ways: she is a journalist, she is a human rights activist, she is a politician, she is a mother, but above all she is a woman.
Written by : WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE FOR PEACE AND FREEDOM
