War “No Longer Just Man's Territory”

Armored with white T-shirts – a symbolic color of peace – and an abundance of prayers, the women of Liberia stood strong against corruption and violence in their nation, ending war and making history.

By Kara Yates

Pray the Devil Back to Hell, a captivating film documenting the courage of a group of Liberian women as they put a halt to their country’s second bloody civil war (1999–2003), relives the heart-wrenching story of feminine strength and resilience. While former President Charles Taylor presided over Liberia until 2003, machine-gun-carrying warlords rebelled against his corrupt regime.

Behind the scenes, PINK interviewed director Abigail Disney about what it was like filming Pray the Devil Back to Hell. With the help of long-term friend and producer Gini Reticker, Disney directed a riveting documentary, capturing a powerful response from women demanding peace at the climax of violence.

As Enriching as Sisterhood

Pray the Devil Back to Hell, now on the short list for a best-documentary Oscar, reveals the power of sisterhood, taking a firm stand against the evils of poverty and violence. The bond of sisterhood played a major role in bringing liberation to Liberia. “Sisterhood is enriching,” Disney says. “It’s empowering to see yourself as part of a group.”

For Disney, the goal was to incorporate the true experience of a native Liberian woman and her sisters. Leymah Gbowee, executive director of the Women, Peace, and Security Network Africa, knew the whole story, Disney says. “At first, the women weren’t sure they trusted us. But Leymah and I had built a great friendship, and they trusted her.” Soon after, 100 women came over and asked Disney to join them in dance. Without the tight bond between the Liberian women – Muslim and Christian – demanding peace would not have been as effective. “It was the large numbers [of women] that worked for them,” Disney says.

A Little Refusal Goes a Long Way

Dressed in white and bearing signs painted with blood-colored paint that read, “We Must Have Peace,” women protested powerfully. Among their many nonviolent tactics were the “sex strikes,” a boycott against intimacy until they saw peace. Although it’s a bit humorous to think that a little refusal can go a long way, the Liberian women were embarrassed to talk about the sex strikes, Disney says. “It’s just another indicator of how bad things really were.” And even if the men they were married to weren’t all warlords, she explains, “By commission or omission, all men were responsible for the conflict. They had explicit power.”

Large Strides for Women

Disney recalls an off-camera interview with a warlord who refused to be filmed. “He said that women aren’t important; they’re only in our conscience.” Not only did the nonviolent initiatives of the Liberian women prove stronger than those of the chauvinistic warlords, but they also resulted in the exile of Taylor – who was tried for war crimes – and the election of Africa’s first woman president, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, an African icon dedicated to social change.

Escaping Corruption and Poverty

Due to the trials of civil disagreement, the economic state of Liberia still suffers. “As long as weapons are cheap and poverty is prevalent,” Disney says, “there will be conflict.” Although the violent war has ceased, there’s an 80 percent chance that a country coming out of conflict will return to conflict, she says.

Yet, under the leadership of Johnson-Sirleaf, there is hope for the nation. In her inaugural speech, she addressed the need to “establish a foundation for sustained economic development” and pledged to confront and fight corruption, her administration’s No. 1 public enemy. Since her election, Johnson-Sirleaf has provided tools and seeds for about 14,000 farmers, supplies for 1,800 fisherman and agricultural training for 2,000 ex-combatants.

Reflexive Activism

Liberia, modeled after the United States and founded on democracy in 1822, has a long way to go to live up to its name. With Pray the Devil Back to Hell, Disney wants women from all cultures and ethnicities to remember democracy and peace as things you have to work for. “There’s no reason not to try,” she says. “Hold your politicians responsible for their actions. The system works better with reflexive activism.”

Hopes for the Future

When asked about her future hopes for Liberia, Disney says, “Peace! I pray they bring all their voices together in a conversation about how to rebuild in a new and creative way, away from exploitation at the hands of the elite.”

Disney’s next big project zooms in on women at war. Women, War and Peace, a PBS series on women fighting to end wars, is expected to launch in spring 2010. War is no longer just man’s territory, Disney says. “And the documentary will show the geographic span of women in war – from Bosnia, Congo, Sudan, Nepal and other places around the world.”

Women speak a universal language, Disney says. And she hopes women in America will begin to “grasp how different life overseas is… and act on behalf of others.”