Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace

[1] Organized by Crystal Roh Gawding and social workers Leymah Gbowee and Comfort Freeman, the movement began despite Liberia having extremely limited civil rights.

Thousands of Muslim and Christian women from various classes mobilized their efforts, staged silent nonviolence protests that included a sex strike and the threat of a curse.

Gbowee mentioned some of their roles involved hiding their husbands and sons from soldiers looking to recruit or kill them, walking miles to find food and water for their families, and ultimately how they kept life going so that there would be something left to build on when peace returned.

"[4] Unable to tolerate any more fighting or killing, a small group of Liberian women made a decision that would eventually change the country.

Their leader, Leymah Gbowee, stated that they would "take the destiny of Liberia into their own hands," declaring that "in the past they were silent, but after being killed, raped, dehumanized, and infected with diseases, war has taught them that the future lies in saying no to violence and yes to peace.

With the emphasis on religion as a nonviolent framework the movement was successful in presenting the power women as a collective hold in improving the system of injustice across nations.

As a result, the women were able to achieve peace in Liberia after a 14-year civil war and later helped bring to power the country's first female head of state, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

[11] Asatu Bah Kenneth, Assistant Minister for Administration and Public Safety of the Liberian Ministry of Justice,[12] was president of the Liberia Female Law Enforcement Association at the time.

For her leadership, Leymah Gbowee has received international recognition, including the 2009 John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award[14] and the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize.

[15] Since the adoption of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 in 2000, women have been engaged in rebuilding war-torn societies, restoring relationships and promoting social cohesion.

Women Peace and Security Network – Africa (WIPSEN-Africa), is a women-focused, women-led Pan-African Non-Governmental Organization based in Ghana.

The film has been used as an advocacy tool in post-conflict zones like Sudan and Zimbabwe, mobilizing African women to petition for peace and security.