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H.E. Mrs. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

 

President, Republic of Liberia

Recipient of First UNIFEM Global Leadership Award

From Cabinet Minister to senior United Nations administrator and now the President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's career has never stood still. During the 1980s she served as Vice President of the African Regional Office of Citibank in Nairobi, Kenya and of Equator Bank, in Washington. From 1992 to 1997 she worked as Assistant Administrator and then Director of the United Nations Development Programme, Regional Bureau for Africa.

Johnson Sirleaf returned to Liberia in 1997, and began her political career. After finishing second in the presidential elections that year, she remained a pivotal figure in Liberian politics. In 2005, running on a platform promoting economic development and an end to corruption and civil war, she eventually defeated her rival to become not only President of Liberia, but the first democratically elected female head of state in Africa. The election made an indelible mark in the history books, and in the hearts of women and girls throughout Liberia and beyond.

According to President Johnson Sirleaf, her administration will work to raise the prominence of Liberian women. She has vowed to promote education for women and girls, to enforce legislation to prevent sexual violence, and provide training to support women's economic empowerment.

Africa is ready for a female president. Women all over are poised to enjoy this victory.—H.E. Mrs. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

President Johnson Sirleaf has worked with UNIFEM over many years. As an independent expert she visited conflict-affected countries to listen to women, and co-authored a path-breaking UNIFEM study on women, war and peace, published in 2002. UNIFEM continues to support women in Liberia and recently pledged $500,000 to ensure that women's votes count and their dreams become reality.