Three remarkable women are sharing the Noble Peace Prize this year: Tawakul Karman — a Yemini human right activist — and Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and Leymah Gbowee of Liberia.

The news is very encouraging for those who are fighting for equality and peace around the world. This recognition proves the important role that women can play in resolving conflicts peacefully. President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, for instance, is the first democratically elected female head of state in the whole African continent. She is successfully lifting her people after many years of civil war.

Maybe the world would be a better place if women led men? The world is changing. More women are emerging in different parts of the world. It is a good thing. As the Bedouin of Egypt say, “Pride and dignity would belong to women if only men would leave them alone.”