"In the course of history, there comes a time when humanity is called to shift to a new level of consciousness, to reach a higher moral ground. A time when we must shed our fear and give hope to each other. That time is now." - Wangari Maathai
2024 was a challenging year, marked by intensifying global crises that seemed to have no end in sight. Authoritarian regimes continued to rise, stifling the voices of women, marginalized communities, and all who seek justice and equality. Rights that we fought so hard to secure in preceding decades were eroded, and conflict spread. Across the world, the struggle for democracy, human rights, and peace deepened as the powers of militarism, nationalism, and oppression tightened their grip.
Conflict, never limited to battlefields, continued to permeate daily life through rising restrictions on fundamental freedoms, criminalization of dissent, attacks on freedom of expression, and growing control over our bodies, and movements.
Despite the overwhelming challenges, women continued to rise—unwavering in our resistance, solidarity, and commitment to creating a better, more peaceful and just future. In Palestine, in Ukraine, women were key to rebuilding even as war raged on. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, women faced extreme violence, yet remained at the forefront of demanding justice. In Iran, brave women, like our sister laureate Narges Mohammadi, continued to resist, despite facing trumped up prison charges for daring to challenge to regime. In the United States, the rollback of reproductive rights sparked fierce resistance, as women and allies stood up for bodily autonomy and equality. These stories of resilience, of everyday heroes, remind us that peace, freedom, and justice can never be taken for granted, and that women will always be essential in this struggle.
To that end, NWI's group of laureates grew in 2024. We welcomed Oleksandra Matviichuk, head of the Center for Civil Liberties (CCL) in Ukraine, which received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022 for its work documenting war crimes, human right abuses and the abuse of power.
In these turbulent times, sisterhood—our resilience, solidarity, and determination—has never been more critical. As our late sister laureate Wangari Maathai, founder of the Green Belt Movement, once said: “In the course of history, there comes a time when humanity is called to shift to a new level of consciousness, to reach a higher moral ground. A time when we must shed our fear and give hope to each other. That time is now.”
We will continue to stand together, fight for justice, and demand peace.
In solidarity,
Rigoberta Menchu Tum
Jody Williams
Shirin Ebadi
Leymah Gbowee
Tawakkol Karman
Maria Ressa
Oleksandra Matviichuk
Narges Mohammadi