Nobel committee highlights women's rights in Middle East

Yemen's Tawakul Karman, the chairwoman of 'Women Journalists Without Chains', shouts slogans during an anti-government protest in Sa'ana. Feb 10, 2011. Khaled Abdullah / Reuters

In addition to the winners from Liberia, the Nobel Prize committee chose to highlight women's rights in the governments emerging from the Arab Spring by granting an award to Tawakul Karman. They are saying quite clearly to the world that women's rights in these emerging governments are much on the minds of the West. This move will make great strides in ensuring that these emerging governments, in whatever form they take, must be careful in imposing Shariah law or other oppressive regimes on their women.

Look how the granting of a prize to Aung San Suu Kyi has granted her protection and shone a light on the oppressive regime in Burma. I expect a similar light to shine on the women who helped make the Arab Spring revolutions a reality and who don't wish to be shunted off to the sidelines as they were in Iran.

I loved the Tweet from Wael Ghonim about her award:

Hearty Congrats to Tawakul Karman as she made us all proud :) Our ultimate prize is a democratic Arab World that respects human rights.Fri Oct 07 09:31:39 via webWael Ghonim
Ghonim

Below is Tawakul Karman talking to the press after receiving her award.

For more details, click on the link to read the N.Y. Times article.