Three women who fought injustice, dictatorship and sexual violence in Liberia and Yemen have received the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize at a ceremony in the Norwegian capital, Oslo.
Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, her compatriot Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkul Karman of Yemen collected their Nobel diplomas and medals to applause at Oslo’s City Hall.
Ms Sirleaf, Africa's first freely elected woman head of state and her compatriot Ms Gbowee led a "sex strike" as part of her campaign to force men to end Liberia's civil war.
Ms Karman has fought for women's rights and democracy in Yemen.
Prize committee chairman Thorbjoern Jagland said the three women represent the struggle for "human rights in general and of women for equality and peace in particular."
Accepting her award, Ms Karman lambasted the international community for not backing revolution in her native Yemen and said Arab despots who turn against their own people should not receive immunity. She called on the western world to support the revolutions that swept through the Arab world this year and keep faith with democratic change that was both difficult and inevitable.
"The democratic world, which has told us a lot about the virtues of democracy and good governance, should not be indifferent to what is happening in Yemen and Syria," said Ms Karman.
"These (Arab leaders) should be brought to justice before the International Criminal Court; there should be no immunity for killers who rob the food of the people," she said.
Mr Jagland said no dictator can "find shelter from this wind of history".
He added: "It was this wind which led people to crawl up on to the Berlin Wall and tear it down. It is the wind that is now blowing in the Arab world."
Mr Jagland said women's rights must be a key focus in the aftermath of change in North Africa and the Middle East, where Islamist parties have performed strongly in elections.
The three laureates, receiving the prize on the 115th anniversary of the death of benefactor Alfred Nobel, will share a total award worth over €1 million.