What are the images that we see of African women? They are often cast as powerless victims, particularly in war-torn areas where mass rape is being used as a weapon of war. But take a few minutes to read this great article from Leymah Gbowee, the founder of Liberia's Sex Strike movement, in The Daily Beast.

Gbowee founded the "sex strike" movement as a way to raise awareness of what was happening to women in Liberia. Women declined to have sex with their partners until the violence ended. But as Gbowee says it wasn't just about sex, it was about the "moral clarity, persistence, and patience" of the women.

As Gbowee writes, it was up to the women of Liberia to take back their power, to find the moral high ground and call for peace through a nonviolent movement that lasted for three years. Instead of remaining victims, these women fought back--in a way that made their partners take notice.