Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (left) pictured with Leymah Gbowee, a women's rights activist from Ghana. They share the 2011 Nobel Peace Award with Tawakkul Karman, a peace activist in Yemen.

The 2011 Nobel Peace Prize was jointly awarded to three women, including two women of color.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkul Karman were each recognized for their peace-building works and non-violent struggles for the safety of women and the cause of women’s equality.

“We cannot achieve democracy and lasting peace in the world unless women obtain the same opportunities as men to influence developments at all levels of society,” said Tborbjorn Jagland, Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, as he announced the prize Friday morning.

Sirleaf is the first female to be democratically elected as a president in the continent of Africa.

“Since her inauguration in 2006,” said Jagland, “She has contributed to securing peace in Liberia, to promoting economic and social development, and to strengthening the position of women.”

Gbowee was honored for mobilizing and organizing women across ethnic and religious dividing lines to bring an end to the long war in Liberia and to ensure women’s participation in elections.

Jagland noted that Gibowee has since worked to enhance the influence of women in West Africa during and after war. She now lives in Ghana, where she heads the Women Peace and Security Network Africa. The organization’s senior program officer Mack Mulbah told the Washington Post that the Nobel announcement “is just an impetus to get us ready to run the race.” 

“We still have huge work to do,” Mulbah said. “A lot of women are economically not empowered, and that feeds other problems.”

The third woman to receive the prize, Tawakkul Karman, was honored for playing a leading role in the struggle for women’s rights and for democracy and peace in Yemen.

As one of the richest and most prestigious awards in the world, the Nobel Peace Prize includes a $1.5 million award.

Many were shocked when President Barack Obama won the award in 2009. The committee awarded Obama the award 'for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.'

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