President Obama praised the three women who were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize today for their determination and strength, saying they send “a powerful message that the struggle for universal rights and human dignity can only be fulfilled with the full participation of women around the globe.” 

This year’s Nobel peace prize went to Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Leymah Gbowee of Liberia and Tawakkul Karman of Yemen, three women who valiantly fought for freedom and human rights. 

“The three women who won the Nobel Prize today are all remarkable examples of, not only their own determination and spirit, but also a reminder that when we empower women around the world then everyone is better off, that countries and cultures that respect the contributions of women inevitably end up being more successful than those that don’t,” the president said after an Oval Office meeting with the prime minister of Tunisia. 

President Obama, who won the peace prize in 2009, later said in a written statement that this year’s recipients send “a powerful message that the struggle for universal rights and human dignity can only be fulfilled with the full participation of women around the globe.” 

“Each of this year’s Nobel recipients have their own story, but their lives reveal a fundamental truth.  Nations are ultimately more successful when all of their citizens can reach their full potential, including women,” Obama said. “I commend President Sirleaf, Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkul Karman for showing the world that the rights and voices of half of humanity cannot and will not be denied.”