(Madam) Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is the former President of Liberia, and Africa’s first democratically elected female head of state; Nobel Peace Laureate; a leading promoter of peace, justice, and democratic rule; a voice for freedom; and advocate for women.

During her tenure, President Sirleaf was instrumental in erasing Liberia’s entire debt, she also established a right to free, universal primary education and retired in 2017 ensuring the country’s first peaceful, democratic transition of power in 73 years in January 2018.

Recognized as a global leader for women’s empowerment, President Sirleaf has dedicated her efforts to amplify the voice of women and girls in all spheres of life by increasing the representation of women in public service leadership roles in Africa. In 2018, Johnson Sirleaf founded the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development, a premier institution dedicated to advancing and sustaining women’s political and social development on the continent and “to be a catalyst for change across Africa, by heling unleash its most abundant untapped power – its women.”