Nobel Peace Prize 2011 for African Women: NOPPAW

Do you know that in Africa exist thousands of women’s cooperatives occupied with agricultural, trade and educational activities? In fact, African women are more active of men in the management of economic activities and they also play an increasing role in new native types of social and economic activity.

Women in Africa are responsible for 70% of agricultural production and they produce 80% of Africa's consumer goods. Unfortunately, most often these women are prevented from owning the plot of land they work on simply because they are women.

They are also resolutely engaged in healthcare activities, providing assistance as well as information to increase awareness of the HIV virus and malaria in their villages. And we can't forget that they struggle against the brutal tradition of genital mutilation (infibulation).

The Nobel Peace Prize for African Women (NOPPAW) campaign was promoted by CIPSI (an Italian NGO that coordinates 48 international solidarity-based associations) and ChiAma l'Africa (an Italian campaign for a pact of solidarity with African people), with the support of the Italian foreign ministry.

It has been officially presented to the European Parliament in Brussels on 23 May 2011. Among the signatories, there are prominent personalities from politics, science and entertainment worlds, like the American singer Amii Stewart, the Italian Nobel Prize Rita Levi Montalcini, the South African writer Sindiwe Magona and many others.

If you want to get involved there are different ways to help the cause:

• making a donation

• updating the multilingual website www.noppaw.org

• joining the promoting committee

• organizing public events to raise awareness of the campaign

• And, of course, signing the petition!!