Protest in Mighty Be Our Powers
When a war takes place, innocent civilians tend to suffer. More often than not, before a resolution is achieved, the circumstances worsen for the people. This was the case for Liberia, a country in Africa, that experienced a tragic civil war. However, with the help of an incredible young woman, Leymah Gbowee, the country was able to reform its disastrous state. In her memoir, Mighty Be Our Powers, Gbowee shows readers her perspective of the Liberian Civil War, and expresses her efforts to help bring reform. In Mighty Be Our Powers, the theme of protest is evident through the acts of civil disobedience.
The most impactful way that Gbowee used civil disobedience as a means of protest, was through her direction …show more content…
“No one else in Africa was … focusing only on women and only on building peace” (Gbowee 113). WIPNET was a captivating organization for females – it held meetings that empowered women, through various exercises such as “Being a Woman”. In “Being a Woman”, each participant would complete the following sentence “For me, being a woman means…”, and describe herself to the rest of the group (Gbowee 117). This exercise, as well as many other ones, helped women realize that they are powerful, and have the ability to impact the war and make a change. By the end of the activity, each woman found a part of herself to love, and was given a “glimpse of [her]… own power” (Gbowee 117). This boost of confidence and self-awareness helped many women realize that, even in the patriarchal society, they could make a difference and be heard when they come together. Additionally, the organization “used women’s networks to communicate” (Gbowee 127). For instance, when market women bought produce from women in rural areas, they passed along the news of WIPNET, through word of mouth (Gbowee 127). In fact, the founding idea of the network was that the women of Liberia have been taken to their physical, psychological, and spiritual limits and their key source of power was each other (Gbowee
When a war takes place, innocent civilians tend to suffer. More often than not, before a resolution is achieved, the circumstances worsen for the people. This was the case for Liberia, a country in Africa, that experienced a tragic civil war. However, with the help of an incredible young woman, Leymah Gbowee, the country was able to reform its disastrous state. In her memoir, Mighty Be Our Powers, Gbowee shows readers her perspective of the Liberian Civil War, and expresses her efforts to help bring reform. In Mighty Be Our Powers, the theme of protest is evident through the acts of civil disobedience.
The most impactful way that Gbowee used civil disobedience as a means of protest, was through her direction …show more content…
“No one else in Africa was … focusing only on women and only on building peace” (Gbowee 113). WIPNET was a captivating organization for females – it held meetings that empowered women, through various exercises such as “Being a Woman”. In “Being a Woman”, each participant would complete the following sentence “For me, being a woman means…”, and describe herself to the rest of the group (Gbowee 117). This exercise, as well as many other ones, helped women realize that they are powerful, and have the ability to impact the war and make a change. By the end of the activity, each woman found a part of herself to love, and was given a “glimpse of [her]… own power” (Gbowee 117). This boost of confidence and self-awareness helped many women realize that, even in the patriarchal society, they could make a difference and be heard when they come together. Additionally, the organization “used women’s networks to communicate” (Gbowee 127). For instance, when market women bought produce from women in rural areas, they passed along the news of WIPNET, through word of mouth (Gbowee 127). In fact, the founding idea of the network was that the women of Liberia have been taken to their physical, psychological, and spiritual limits and their key source of power was each other (Gbowee