Germana Carillo Just hours before the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize announcement, a controversial hypothesis is circulating: Donald Trump among possible winners for his role in the Israel-Hamas agreement. But would it be the right choice? While awaiting the Norwegian Committee's verdict, we at greenMe tried to imagine who truly deserves this recognition: ten women, symbols of resistance, courage and justice, from the Amazon to Iran, from Italy to Russia. Because if peace is an act of moral strength, perhaps it's time for women to remind us of this again
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Winds of peace are finally blowing across the world. Or rather, across that part of the world where all eyes are now focused (let’s not forget there are endless wars and internal conflicts in many other remote corners that nobody talks about, but that’s another story).
Just hours before the announcement of the Nobel Peace Prize (tomorrow, October 10th, by the Norwegian Committee), the idea is becoming pressing (unhealthy, at least for most) that Donald Trump might receive it for pushing toward an agreement between Israel and Hamas. But are we sure that would be the right choice?
Many say the Norwegian Nobel Committee, composed of five members appointed by the Storting (Norwegian Parliament), won’t be caught off guard by smoke and mirrors. But we can be certain that among the 338 candidates for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize (244 individuals and 94 organizations), the Tycoon’s name also appears. But we can’t know for sure for at least half a century: the list of Nobel Peace Prize candidates is published 50 years after the award is given, in accordance with the statutes of the Nobel Foundation.
In any case, we thought long and hard about who might deserve the Nobel Peace Prize this year and, well!, we came up with only women’s names. After all, of the 111 people awarded the Nobel Peace Prize from 1901 to today, only 19 are women. The first time this prize was awarded to a woman was in 1905, to the Austrian writer Bertha von Suttner.
Here are 10 women who could receive the Nobel Peace Prize according to us
Nemonte Nenquimo (Ecuador)
Indigenous leader of the Waorani, an Amerindian population of Ecuador, activist and symbol of resistance. Born in 1985 in Pastaza province, Nemonte grew up immersed in the dense green of the Amazon, where her education didn’t happen in school desks but under the millennial canopies of the forest. In 2024, together with her partner and activist Mitch Anderson, Nemonte Nenquimo published the memoir We Will Be Jaguars. In 2020, TIME included her among the 100 most influential people in the world. Additionally, she received the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize and the United Nations Champions of the Earth award.
Sônia Guajajara (Brazil)
Indigenous leader and politician, very active on the national and international scene in defense of native populations. In 2022, Brazilian President Lula entrusted her with the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples, Brazil’s first ministry for the protection of indigenous peoples, whose rights have been brutally trampled every day.
Vandana Shiva and her organization Navdanya (India)
Indian activist and environmentalist who fights to promote organic agriculture, free from GMOs, and fair trade, centering women and their autonomy. Hers is the battle against Monsanto and all agribusiness multinationals.
Nasrin Sotoudeh (Iran)
Human rights lawyer, she defended women who had protested against the mandatory hijab and was arrested on June 13, 2018. She was subsequently accused, among other things, of “conspiracy against the system” and insulting Iran’s spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and sentenced to 33 years in prison and 148 lashes.
Gisèle Pelicot (France)
She became a symbol against sexual violence and chemical submission after her husband drugged her for years to render her unconscious and allow other men to rape her, recording everything. Gisèle gave up anonymity and requested that the trial be public, becoming a symbol of the fight against rape culture and sexual domination. The protests following the trial and her visibility helped pressure French authorities to revise the rape law, including the notion of “consent” as a central element. She appeared on international lists such as “100 Most Influential Women” (BBC) and among the 25 most influential women of 2024 (Financial Times).
Greta Thunberg (Sweden)
Environmental activist, often proposed also for reasons related to climate change and global justice, founder of the Youth Strike for Climate movement. Greta is not just an individual activist: she has catalyzed thousands (in many cases millions) of young people worldwide with “Fridays for Future.” Her role ignites strong debate, but also global attention to climate risks and pushes political action. The symbolic power to mobilize young people from every continent is often seen as an act of “preventive peace”: trying to prevent environmental crises from degenerating into conflicts.
Francesca Albanese (Italy)
Albanese’s name is currently very divisive (exactly like Greta Thunberg’s). UN Special Rapporteur on the Palestinian territories, her activity is already deeply embedded in international dossiers on conflicts and human rights. Albanese has produced reports denouncing serious crimes: in the report “Anatomy of a Genocide,” she argued that there are “reasonable grounds” to believe that Israeli actions in the Gaza Strip may constitute genocide. In 2025, she published a report analyzing the economic system of Israeli occupation, going so far as to speak of “economy of genocide,” and was awarded the “Dries van Agt Prize” by The Rights Forum, which honors commitment to defending human rights and international law in Palestine. She was also recognized as “UN Person of the Year” on PassBlue for her commitment in 2024.
Yulia Navalnaya (Russia)
Widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, human rights activist. After her husband’s death in prison, Navalnaya assumed responsibility for continuing his fight against Putin’s regime, transforming personal tragedy into public commitment against authoritarianism. She has already received human rights awards, such as the “Magnitsky Human Rights Award.” She was included among the 100 most influential people of 2024 by Time.
Luisa Morgantini (Italy)
Historic Italian activist, already cited multiple times for peace recognitions and involved in international causes. Active for decades on themes of peace, nonviolence, solidarity and rights — not as a recent “media phenomenon,” but with a constant life path. She has held prominent positions: Member of the European Parliament from 1999 to 2009, Vice President of the European Parliament with responsibilities for African policies and human rights. In the European Parliament, she participated in strategic committees: development, women’s rights, constitutional affairs, human rights. Finally, she is one of the Italian founders of the Women in Black movement, an international network against war and violence, and is president of the Assopace Palestina association, which aims to promote respect for human rights and justice for Palestine.
Zuriel Oduwole (USA)
Very young and has international visibility as an activist for girls’ education and children’s rights. Supported by academic institutions, an award to her could be “symbolic” as an emerging face in the field of peace, giving her an intriguing narrative. She started as a child the project Dream Up, Speak Up, Stand Up (DUSUSU) to promote girls’ education, fight early marriage and empower young women’s skills in various African countries. In several countries, she has taught filmmaking workshops to young women, giving them expressive tools and critical awareness.
Now, the Nobel committee awards, as always, only surprising choices. These are just some of the women who today attract the most attention in the media and public opinion. But how wonderful would it be to hear, tomorrow, one of these names?
