Q&A: Activists, ‘sister-friends’ Gloria Steinem and Leymah Gbowee channel their bond into a new book

Nobel Peace Prize Winner Leymah Gbowee and Gloria Steinem Release Children’s Book on Activism and Friendship

When Nobel Peace Prize laureate Leymah Gbowee first met Gloria Steinem, she admits to being completely starstruck. “Everyone knows of Gloria, regardless of which continent you come from,” Gbowee told The Associated Press in a recent interview.

Steinem, now 91 and one of the world’s most recognizable feminist icons, deflects such praise. “She’s a GLOBAL celebrity,” Steinem counters, referring to Gbowee, who won the Nobel in 2011 for her groundbreaking work advancing peace and women’s rights in Liberia.

Their introduction two decades ago came through filmmaker and activist Abigail Disney, who had created a documentary about Gbowee’s peace movement in Liberia. Disney recalls the immediate connection between the two activists: “Their spirits were in sync. I said: ‘My work is done here. You guys do your thing.'”

That initial meeting blossomed into a profound friendship that has now produced “Rise, Girl, Rise: Our Sister-Friend Journey. Together For All,” a richly illustrated children’s book that chronicles both women’s paths toward activism while encouraging a new generation to fight for equality. The term “sister-friend,” which Steinem credits Gbowee with coining, captures the essence of their relationship across continents and cultures.

The book, illustrated by Kah Yangni, traces their remarkably different childhoods. Young Steinem traveled throughout the United States in a trailer with her antique-dealer father, experiencing “miles of highways fruit stands, gas stations, diners,” while Gbowee grew up in Liberia, “a land rich with timber, ripe with hopes for a new tomorrow.” Despite these contrasting beginnings, both women developed a keen awareness of injustice in their societies and dedicated their lives to combating inequality.

Their personal bond deepened over the years, with pivotal conversations taking place around Steinem’s kitchen table in New York. Gbowee recalls a particularly meaningful Easter Sunday discussion in 2009 when she was questioning her commitment to feminist activism.

“I was really feeling funky about being in the feminist movement. Did I want to stay? Did I want to leave?” Gbowee explained. “And she said to me, ‘One of the reasons you feel the way you’re feeling is because you need a sister.'” Steinem shared how her friendships with women like author Alice Walker sustained her through difficult times. “She said, ‘That’s the kind of person you need, that you can be very vulnerable with.’ It was a beautiful conversation.”

The idea for their book emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic when Gbowee began writing more regularly. After connecting with Scholastic, she suggested a collaboration with Steinem, which the publisher enthusiastically supported.

Though the book’s title specifically addresses girls, Steinem believes boys could embrace it too. “Girls have read ‘The Hardy Boys’ for years and other boys’ books and felt connected,” she noted. Gbowee adds that while the book is marketed for children around age 11, she reads it to her grandsons as young as five and seven, emphasizing that “the message of love and acceptance and everything else is something I want to pass on to them.”

The book reveals surprising details about both women’s formative years. Steinem shares that she didn’t attend regular school until sixth grade, as her family traveled seasonally between rural Michigan and warmer climates, with her father supporting them by buying and selling antiques. “I think my family thought because I was always reading books in the back seat, that was enough,” she says with characteristic humor, adding, “I’m probably still lousy at math.”

Beyond their literary collaboration, both women remain actively engaged in global activism. Steinem’s New York brownstone serves as a hub for meetings of activists from around the world, with recent discussions focusing on American democracy and political representation. “We live in a democracy that’s one of the few in the world that’s never had a female elected leader. That’s kind of ridiculous,” Steinem observed. “We’re choosing from half the country’s talent.”

Through their book and ongoing work, Gbowee and Steinem continue to exemplify the power of cross-generational, cross-cultural friendship in advancing social justice worldwide, sharing their stories to inspire future activists regardless of age or gender.