Yemen’s “mother of the revolution” is recognized by the Nobel Committee for her activism in the country during, and before, the Arab Spring
Opposition Member
Tawakul Karman of Yemen, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Oct. 7, 2011, is a member of the country's main opposition party, Islah. She is perhaps best known for her role as leader of the group Women Journalists Without Chains, though she has an extensive background in activism. Pictured here on Aug. 7, 2007, she stands outside the government headquarters in Sana'a as she announces a blacklist of Yemeni officials during a rally.Khaled Fazaa / AFP / Getty Images
Parole
At age 32, Karman is a member of the parliament as well as a mother of three. Because of her political standing and role as a journalist, she is often cited as the face of pro-democracy activists in Yemen hoping to oust President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Karman has led student protests against the President for years. In this image, from Jan. 24, 2011, she is seen being released on parole from a prison in Sana'a after being detained for inciting disorder. The arrest is considered the beginning of the antigovernment uprising in Yemen, as it coincided with many of the earlier events of the Arab Spring.Gamal Noman / AFP / Getty Images
Supporting Women’s Rights
Karman marches during an antigovernment protest in Sana'a on Feb. 10, 2011. She founded Women Journalists Without Chains in 2005, in order to promote "freedom of opinion and expression, and democratic rights." Though she has led protests every Tuesday since 2007, she incorporated ideas from the Tunisian and Egyptian uprisings in early 2011, including a call for a "day of rage" on Feb. 3 and increased usage of social media.Khaled Abdullah / Reuters
Call for Peace
"I am very, very happy about this," said Karman of her Nobel Peace Prize. "I give the prize to the youth of revolution in Yemen and the Yemeni people." Karman, who is known by many in Yemen as the "mother of the revolution," received the award along with Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Liberian activist Leymah Gbowee. In this photograph, she receives a call shortly after the recipients of the prize were announced while inside her tent at a protesters' camp in Sana'a on Oct. 7, 2011.Yahya Arhab / EPA
Celebration
Karman, like her fellow recipients, was recognized by the Nobel Committee for the importance of women's rights, and their roles, in campaigning for peace around the world. Thorbjorn Jagland, chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, added a specific comment for the recipient linked to the uprisings in the Middle East, saying the award was "a signal that the Arab Spring cannot be successful without including the women in it."Ahmed Jadallah / Reuters
