by LUCINDA ROUSE
Nobel Peace laureate Leymah Gbowee, who helped end Liberia’s civil war, and Etweda ‘Sugars’ Cooper, who secured Gbowee’s place at the head of the women’s movement, are still each others’ champions.
Leymah Gbowee’s office is a hive of activity. At any one time, there are at least a dozen people within its bright, mural-clad walls. Sitting behind her generously proportioned desk, Gbowee commands authority, bellowing “Come!” in response to frequent knocks on the door.
But the men and women who enter are at ease and show her considerable affection. As the Liberian Nobel Peace laureate eats a hurried late lunch, she receives hugs and kisses from friends, more than one of whom proceeds to pick up her fork and swipe a mouthful of fried potato greens from her plate.
Next to Gbowee’s larger-than-life demeanour, the older woman on the other side of the desk seems more docile. While Gbowee, 49, sports thick-rimmed spectacles, silver trainers and bold Bantu knots – intricate cornrows coiled into buns on her head – Etweda “Sugars” Cooper makes less of a statement, with smart leather shoes and grey hair cropped short. But at 74, she nonetheless shares her protégé’s energy, gamely propelling her office chair across the floor to open a conversation on the other side of the room.
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