In an extraordinary convergence of activist legacies, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Leymah Gbowee and feminist pioneer Gloria Steinem have transformed their transcontinental friendship into an inspirational children’s book. Their collaboration, “Rise, Girl, Rise: Our Sister-Friend Journey. Together For All,” represents both a dual biography and a call to action for future generations.
The relationship between the Liberian peace activist and the American feminist icon began two decades ago through filmmaker Abigail Disney, who documented Gbowee’s peace movement work. Despite their different continents and distinct activist battles—Gbowee’s focus on peace and women’s rights in Liberia versus Steinem’s lifelong feminism advocacy—their connection proved instantaneous and profound.
“I was just starstruck,” Gbowee confessed regarding her first encounter with Steinem, while the 91-year-old activist countered that Gbowee herself had become a “global celebrity” since winning the 2011 Nobel Prize for her transformative work in Liberia.
The book, illustrated by Kah Yangni, traces both women’s childhoods: Steinem’s unconventional education traveling across America in a trailer with her antique-dealer father, and Gbowee’s upbringing in Liberia’s timber-rich landscape. It chronicles their parallel discoveries of injustice and their subsequent commitments to activism.
A pivotal moment in their friendship occurred during an Easter Sunday conversation in 2009 when Gbowee questioned her place in the feminist movement. Steinem’s kitchen-table wisdom about the necessity of supportive “sisters” provided the emotional sustenance that sustained their bond and ultimately inspired this literary project.
Conceived during pandemic isolation, the book intentionally bridges generational and geographical divides. While technically targeted at ages 11 and up, both authors emphasize its universal message of love, acceptance, and activism that resonates across gender and age boundaries. The work stands as testament to how shared commitment to social justice can forge powerful connections that span oceans and decades.