Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (born Ellen Eugenia Johnson, 29 October 1938) is a Liberian politician who served as the 24th president of Liberia from 2006 to 2018. Sirleaf was the first elected female head of state in Africa.[1]
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf | |
---|---|
![]() Sirleaf in 2015 | |
24th President of Liberia | |
In office 16 January 2006 – 22 January 2018 | |
Vice President | Joseph Boakai |
Preceded by | Gyude Bryant |
Succeeded by | George Weah |
Minister of Finance | |
In office 1979 – 12 April 1980 | |
President | William Tolbert |
Preceded by | James Phillips |
Succeeded by | Perry Zulu |
Personal details | |
Born | Ellen Eugenia Johnson 29 October 1938 Monrovia, Liberia |
Political party | Liberian Action Party (1985–1996) Unity (1997–2018) Independent (2018–present) |
Spouse | James Sirleaf
(m. 1956; div. 1961) |
Children | 4 |
Education | Madison Business College University of Colorado, Boulder (BA) Harvard University (MPA) |
Awards | Nobel Peace Prize (2011) |
Signature | ![]() |
Sirleaf was born in Monrovia to a Gola father and Kru-German mother. She was educated at the College of West Africa. She completed her education in the United States, where she studied at Madison Business College and Harvard University. She returned to Liberia to work in William Tolbert's government as Deputy Minister of Finance from 1971 to 1974. Later, she worked again in the West, for the World Bank in the Caribbean and Latin America. In 1979, she received a cabinet appointment as Minister of Finance, serving to 1980.
After Samuel Doe seized power in 1980 in a coup d'état and executed Tolbert, Sirleaf fled to the United States. She worked for Citibank and then the Equator Bank. She returned to Liberia to contest a senatorial seat for Montserrado County in 1985, an election that was disputed. She was arrested as a result of her open criticism of the military government in 1985 and was sentenced to ten years imprisonment, although she was later released.[2] Sirleaf continued to be involved in politics. She finished in second place at the 1997 presidential election, which was won by Charles Taylor.
She won the 2005 presidential election and took office on 16 January 2006. She was re-elected in 2011. She was the first woman in Africa elected as president of her country. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011, in recognition of her efforts to bring women into the peacekeeping process. She has received numerous other awards for her leadership. In June 2016, Sirleaf was elected as the Chair of the Economic Community of West African States, making her the first woman to hold the position since it was created.[3]
Family background
Sirleaf's father was Gola and her mother had mixed Kru and German ancestry.[4][5]
While not in fact Americo-Liberian in terms of ancestry, because of her parents' upbringing and her own education in the West, Sirleaf is considered to be culturally Americo-Liberian, or assumed to be Americo-Liberian. Her parents both grew up in Monrovia, a center of Americo-Liberian influence, after being born in poor rural areas.[6][7][8] Sirleaf does not identify as such.[9]
Sirleaf's father, Jahmale Carney Johnson, was born into a Gola family in an impoverished rural region.[10] He was the son of a minor Gola chief named Jahmale Carney and one of his wives, Jenneh, in Julijuah, Bomi County.[11] Her father was sent to Monrovia for education, where he changed his surname to Johnson due to her father's loyalty to President Hilary R. W. Johnson, Liberia's first native-born president.[11] Jahmale Johnson grew up in Monrovia, where he was raised by an Americo-Liberian family with the surname McCritty.[11] He later entered politics; he was the first Liberian from an indigenous ethnic group to be elected to the country's national legislature.[5][10]
Sirleaf's mother was also born into poverty, in Greenville.[11] Her grandmother, Juah Sarwee, sent Sirleaf's mother to the capital, Monrovia, when her German husband (Sirleaf's grandfather) had to flee the country after Liberia declared war on Germany during World War I.[10] Cecilia Dunbar, a member of a prominent Americo-Liberian family in the capital, adopted and raised Sirleaf's mother.[11]
Early life and career
Sirleaf was born in Monrovia in 1938.[10] She attended the College of West Africa, a preparatory school, from 1948 to 1955. She married James Sirleaf when she was seventeen years old. The couple had four sons together, and she was primarily occupied as a homemaker. Early on in their marriage, James worked for the Department of Agriculture, and Sirleaf worked as a bookkeeper for an auto-repair shop.[12]
She traveled with her husband to the United States in 1961 to continue her education and earned an associate degree in Accounting at Madison Business College, in Madison, Wisconsin.[13] When they returned to Liberia, James continued his work in the Agriculture Department and Sirleaf pursued a career in the Treasury Department (Ministry of Finance).[12] They divorced in 1961 because of James' abuse.[5][14][12]
Sirleaf returned to college to finish her bachelor's degree. In 1970, she earned a BA in economics from the Economics Institute of the University of Colorado Boulder,[15] where she also spent a summer preparing for graduate studies. Sirleaf studied economics and public policy at Harvard Kennedy School from 1969 to 1971, earning a Master of Public Administration.[16] She returned to her native Liberia to work in the administration of William Tolbert, where she was appointed as Assistant Minister of Finance. Whilst in that position, she attracted attention with a "bombshell" speech to the Liberian Chamber of Commerce that claimed that the country's corporations were harming the economy by hoarding or sending their profits overseas.[17]
Sirleaf served as Assistant Minister from 1972 to 1973 in the Tolbert administration. She resigned after a disagreement about government spending. Subsequently, she was appointed as Minister of Finance a few years later, serving from 1979 to April 1980.[18]
Master Sergeant Samuel Doe, a member of the indigenous Krahn ethnic group, seized power in a military coup on 12 April 1980; he ordered the assassination of Tolbert and execution by firing squad of all but four members of his Cabinet. The People's Redemption Council took control of the country and led a purge against the previous government. Sirleaf initially accepted a post in the new government as the President of the Liberian Bank for Development and Investment. She fled the country in November 1980 after publicly criticising Doe and the People's Redemption Council for their management of the country.[19]
Sirleaf initially moved to Washington, D.C., and worked for the World Bank.[20] In 1981, she moved to Nairobi, Kenya to serve as Vice President of the African Regional Office of Citibank. She resigned from Citibank in 1985 following her involvement at the 1985 general election in Liberia. She went to work for Equator Bank,[21] a subsidiary of HSBC.
In 1992, Sirleaf was appointed as the Director of the United Nations Development Programme's Regional Bureau for Africa at the rank of Assistant Administrator and Assistant Secretary General (ASG). She is internationally known as Africa's Iron Lady, due to her political prowess.[22] She resigned from this role in 1997 in order to run for the presidency of Liberia. During her time at the UN, she was one of the seven internationally eminent persons designated in 1999 by the Organization of African Unity to investigate the Rwandan genocide, one of the five Commission Chairs for the Inter-Congolese Dialogue, and one of the two international experts selected by UNIFEM to investigate and report on the effect of conflict on women and women's roles in peace building. She was the initial Chairperson of the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) and a visiting Professor of Governance at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA).[23]
Political career
1985 general election
While working at Citibank, Sirleaf returned to Liberia in 1985 to run for Vice President under Jackson Doe on the ticket of the Liberian Action Party in the 1985 elections. However, Sirleaf was placed under house arrest in August 1985 and soon after sentenced to ten years in prison for sedition, as a consequence of a speech in which she insulted the members of the Samuel Doe regime. Following international calls for her release, Samuel Doe pardoned and released her in September. Due to government pressure, she was removed from the presidential ticket and instead ran for a Senate seat in Montserrado County.
In the 1985 elections, Samuel Doe and the National Democratic Party won the presidency and large majorities in both houses. The elections were widely condemned as neither free nor fair. Sirleaf was declared the winner of her Senate race, but she refused to accept the seat in protest of the election fraud.
After an attempted coup against the Doe government by Thomas Quiwonkpa on 12 November 1985, Sirleaf was arrested and imprisoned again on 13 November by Doe's forces. Despite continuing to refuse to accept her seat in the Senate, she was released in July 1986. She secretly fled the country to the United States later that year.[24]
1997 presidential campaign
![](../I/Ellen_Johnson-Sirleaf_2005.jpg.webp)
At the beginning of the First Liberian Civil War in 1989, Sirleaf supported Charles Taylor's rebellion against Doe. She helped raise money for the war and founded the National Patriotic Front of Liberia with Taylor and Tom Woewiyu. Because of this, Doe's government recommended that Sirleaf be banned from politics in Liberia for 30 years.
But, she later opposed Taylor's handling of the war and his treatment of rival opposition leaders such as Jackson Doe. By 1996, the presence of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) peacekeepers led to a cessation of hostilities. The nation held the 1997 general election, which Sirleaf returned to Liberia to contest. She ran as the presidential candidate for the Unity Party and placed second in a controversial election, getting 25% of the vote to Charles Taylor's 75%. After controversy about the results and being accused of treason, Sirleaf left Liberia and went into exile in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.[24]
2005 presidential campaign
After the end of the Second Liberian Civil War and the establishment of a transitional government, Sirleaf was proposed as a possible candidate for chairman of the government. Ultimately, Gyude Bryant, a political neutral, was chosen as chairman, while Sirleaf served as head of the Governance Reform Commission.
Sirleaf stood for president as the candidate of the Unity Party in the 2005 general election. She placed second in the first round of voting behind George Weah, a former footballer.[25] In the subsequent run-off election, Sirleaf earned 59% of the vote versus 40% for Weah, though Weah disputed the results.
The announcement of the new leader was postponed until further election investigations were carried out. On 23 November 2005, Sirleaf was declared the winner of the Liberian election and confirmed as the country's next president and the first woman to be elected as president of an African country.[26] Her inauguration took place on 16 January 2006. It was attended by many foreign dignitaries, including United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and First Lady Laura Bush.
2011 presidential campaign
![](../I/Tawakkul_Karman_Leymah_Gbowee_Ellen_Johnson_Sirleaf_Nobel_Peace_Prize_2011_Harry_Wad.jpg.webp)
In January 2010, Sirleaf announced that she would run for a second term in office in the 2011 presidential election while speaking to a joint session of the Legislature.[27] Opposition leaders noted that in doing so, she had broken a promise made during her 2005 campaign to only serve one term if elected.[28] Sirleaf was renominated as the Unity Party's presidential candidate at the party's national convention on 31 October 2010.[29] That same day, Vice President Joseph Boakai was nominated by Sirleaf and confirmed by the delegates as Sirleaf's running mate.[29]
The awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Sirleaf four days prior to the election sparked criticism from opposition parties, with Congress for Democratic Change candidate Winston Tubman calling the award "undeserved" and "a political interference in our country's politics."[30] Sirleaf called the timing of the award a coincidence and avoided mentioning the award during the final days of campaigning.[31]
Sirleaf garnered 43.9% of the vote in the first round, more than any other candidate but short of the 50% needed to avoid a run-off. Tubman came in second with 32.7%, pitting him against Sirleaf in the second round.[32] Tubman called for a boycott of the run-off, claiming that the results of the first round had been fraudulent.[33] Sirleaf denied the allegations, and international observers reported that the first round election had been free, fair and transparent.[34] As a result of the boycott, Sirleaf won the second round with 90.7% of the vote, though voter turnout significantly declined from the first round.[35] Following the election, Sirleaf announced the creation of a "national peace and reconciliation initiative," led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Leymah Gbowee, to address the country's divisions and begin "a national dialogue that would bring us together."[36] She took the presidential oath for her second presidency on 16 January 2012.[37]
2017 presidential campaign
Sirleaf crossed party lines to support George Weah in the 2017 presidential campaign.[38] In the late evening hours of 13 January 2018, she along with some officials of the Unity Party were expelled[39] by the National Executive Committee of the party, for failing to support Unity Party presidential candidate, and Sirleaf’s Vice President, Joseph Boakai.
Presidency
Domestic policy
![](../I/Ellen_Johnson-Sirleaf3.jpg.webp)
A fire broke out at the Executive Mansion on 26 July 2006, seriously damaging the structure. An independent panel formed to investigate the incident ruled out arson, attributing the fire to an electrical malfunction.[40] Sirleaf's government called funding for the repair of the mansion a low priority in the face of more pressing needs, with Sirleaf transferring her office to the nearby Foreign Ministry building and choosing to live at her personal home in Monrovia.[41][42]
On 26 July 2007, Sirleaf celebrated Liberia's 160th Independence Day under the theme "Liberia at 160: Reclaiming the future." She took an unprecedented and symbolic move by asking 25-year-old Liberian activist Kimmie Weeks to serve as National Orator for the celebrations, where Weeks called for the government to prioritize education and health care. A few days later, President Sirleaf issued an Executive Order making education free and compulsory for all elementary school aged children.[43]
On 4th, October 2010, Sirleaf signed into law a Freedom of Information bill, the first legislation of its kind in West Africa.[44][45] In recognition of this, she became the first sitting head of state to receive the Friend of the Media in Africa Award from The African Editor's Union.[46]
On 1 April 2011, Sirleaf told reporters that she planned to charge an opposition candidate with sedition for organizing a rally protesting corruption in the government. Her press secretary later clarified that the remark had been an April Fools' prank.[47]
Debt relief
From the beginning of her presidency, Sirleaf vowed to make reduction of the national debt, which stood at approximately US$4.9 billion in 2006, a top priority for her administration. The United States became the first country to grant debt relief to Liberia, waiving the full $391 million owed to it by Liberia in early 2007.[48] In September of that year, the G-8 headed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel provided $324.5 million to paying off 60% of Liberia's debt to the International Monetary Fund, crediting their decision to the macroeconomic policies pursued by the Sirleaf administration.[49]
In April 2009, the government successfully wrote off an additional $1.2 billion in foreign commercial debt in a deal that saw the government buy back the debt at a 97% discounted rate through financing provided by the International Development Association, Germany, Norway, the United States, and the United Kingdom.[50] The discounted rate was the largest ever for a developing country.[50]
The country was deemed eligible to participate in the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries initiative in 2008.[51] In June 2010, the country reached the completion point of the HIPC initiative, qualifying it for relief from its entire external debt.[52] That same month, the World Bank and IMF agreed to fund $1.5 billion in writing off the Liberia's multilateral debt.[53] On 16 September, the Paris Club agreed to cancel $1.26 billion, with independent bilateral creditors canceling an additional $107 million, essentially writing off Liberia's remaining external debt.[54] Sirleaf vowed to prevent unsustainable borrowing in the future by restricting annual borrowing to 3% of GDP and limiting expenditure of all borrowed funds to one-off infrastructure projects.[55]
Truth and Reconciliation Commission
![](../I/Ellen_Johnson_Sirleaf_gc2008.jpg.webp)
In 2006, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission began work with a mandate to "promote national peace, security, unity and reconciliation" by investigating more than 20 years of civil conflict in the country. The TRC was formed through a legislation in 2005 under the Interim government headed by C. Gyude Bryant.
In their final report, issued in June 2009, the TRC included Sirleaf in a list of 50 names of people that should be "specifically barred from holding public offices; elected or appointed for a period of thirty (30) years" for "being associated with former warring factions."[56] The proposed ban stemmed from her financial support of former President Taylor in the early years of the First Liberian Civil War.
On 26 July 2009, Sirleaf apologized to Liberia for supporting Charles Taylor, saying: "When the true nature of Mr. Taylor's intentions became known, there was no more impassioned critic or strong opponent to him in a democratic process" than she.[57] On 28 August, the Legislature announced they must "consult our constituents for about a year" before deciding whether or not to implement the Commission's recommendations.[58]
During an appearance at the Council on Foreign Relations in 2010, Sirleaf argued that the implementation of the TRC's recommended ban would unconstitutionally violate her right to due process.[59] In October 2010, the chairman of Sirleaf's Unity Party, Varney Sherman, argued that implementation of the recommendation would be unconstitutional, as Article 21(a) of the Constitution prohibits ex post facto laws, and Sirleaf had broken no law by financially supporting Taylor that imposed a ban from public office as a penalty.[60]
In January 2011, the Supreme Court ruled in Williams v. Tah, a case brought by another person recommended for being banned from public office in the TRC report, that the TRC's recommendation was an unconstitutional violation of the listed individuals' right to procedural due process, and that it would be unconstitutional for the government to implement the proposed bans.[61]
Gay rights
Following a speech made by United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in December 2011 that America's foreign aid would be used to promote the protection of gay rights,[62] the issue of LGBT rights became a significant political topic in Liberia. According to The Guardian, "Since Clinton's remarks, Liberian newspapers have published numerous articles and editorials describing homosexuality as 'desecrating', 'abusive' and an 'abomination'."[62] Liberian law made "voluntary sodomy" punishable by up to one year in prison, although it has not been used to prosecute anyone in several years.[63]
In February 2012, Bong County Senator Jewel Taylor proposed a bill that would carry a term of ten years in prison for homosexual activity, while a similar bill was introduced in the House of Representatives.[62] On 19 March, Sirleaf addressed the issue, saying that she would not repeal the current law but would also not sign into law either of the two proposed bills. Sirleaf added, "We like ourselves just the way we are [...] We've got certain traditional values in our society that we would like to preserve."[62] According to Tiawan Gongloe, Liberia's former Solicitor General, "If she tried to decriminalise the [current anti-gay] law it would be political suicide."[62]
In a letter to The Guardian, Sirleaf's press secretary challenged the portrayal of her remarks in the media saying that: "There currently exists no law referencing homosexuality in Liberia, and as such the President could not be defending a law on homosexuality. The President is on record as saying [...] that any law brought before her regarding homosexuality will be vetoed. This statement also applies to an initial attempt by two members of the Liberian legislature to introduce tougher laws targeting homosexuality." The letter added "the status quo in Liberia has been one of tolerance and no one has ever been prosecuted under that [current] law," and went on to hint at future possible liberalization stating that "the President thinks that with the unprecedented freedom of speech and expression Liberia enjoys today, our budding democracy will be strong enough to accommodate new ideas and debate both their value and Liberia's laws with openness, respect and independence."[64] The Guardian published a correction to its story: "'Nobel peace prize winner defends law criminalising homosexuality in Liberia' was updated to restore material cut in the editing process. The restored material clarifies the stance that President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is taking on laws concerning homosexuality in Liberia. That is: she refuses to dismantle the existing anti-sodomy law, while also saying she will refuse to sign two new bills that would toughen laws on homosexuality." The comments, letter, and clarification suggest that she considered the status quo for gay rights in Liberia to be one of de facto tolerance until the recent controversy, and did not support decriminalization of homosexuality, but also refused to support further criminalisation of homosexual acts which was being attempted in Liberia. She reaffirmed this view during an interview with Tony Blair.[65]
Foreign policy
![](../I/Secretary_Clinton_Meets_With_Liberian_President_Sirleaf_(8385853099).jpg.webp)
Upon her election to office, Sirleaf made her first foreign trip as President to neighboring Ivory Coast, meeting with Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo in an attempt to repair relations between the two countries following Côte d'Ivoire's support of the Movement for Democracy in Liberia during the Second Liberian Civil War.[66] During the 2010–2011 Ivorian crisis, Sirleaf, as chairperson of the Mano River Union, supported ECOWAS's recognition of Gbagbo's opponent, Alassane Ouattara, as the winner of the disputed presidential election, but rejected calls for a military solution to the crisis.[67]
Sirleaf also forged close relations with the United States, Liberia's traditional ally. Following the establishment of United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) by the United States military, Sirleaf offered to allow the US to headquarter the new command in Liberia, the only African leader to do so.[68] The command was eventually headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. On 15 March 2006, President Sirleaf addressed a joint meeting of the United States Congress, asking for American support to help her country "become a brilliant beacon, an example to Africa and the world of what love of liberty can achieve."[69]
Sirleaf has also strengthened relations with the People's Republic of China, reaffirming Liberia's commitment to the One-China policy.[70] In return, China has contributed to Liberia's reconstruction, building several transmitters to extend the Liberia Broadcasting System nationwide and constructing a new campus for the University of Liberia.[71][72]
Sirleaf is a member of the Council of Women World Leaders, an international network of current and former women presidents and prime ministers whose mission is to mobilize the highest-level women leaders globally for collective action on issues of critical importance to women and equitable development.[73]
During the 2011 Libyan civil war, Sirleaf added her voice to the international community who asked the previous Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi to cease the use of violence and tactics of political repression.[74] However, she criticized the international military intervention in Libya, declaring that "violence does not help the process whichever way it comes".[75] Her government later severed diplomatic ties with Libya, stating that "The Government took the decision after a careful review of the situation in Libya and determined that the Government of Colonel Gaddafi has lost the legitimacy to govern Libya."[76]
On 27 February 2015, President Sirleaf was expected to make a visit to U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House in Washington, D.C., according to an official online statement from the Office of the White House Press Secretary. Among other issues, they planned to discuss the hope to expeditiously close the recent 2013–2015 Ebola virus epidemic, which heavily affected Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea, and other areas in West Africa (and beyond in other countries due to importation of cases for treatment and some new infections), down to an ideal of zero reported cases in Liberia and nearby areas in the near future, with continuing monitoring and reporting, care, support, and fiscal and professional assistance. They also planned to discuss how to sustain and rebuild the healthcare infrastructure and the country's other difficulties in the wake of the massive outbreak's morbidity and mortality toll and impact on the area, as well as review progress that had been made and efforts to continue it.[77]
Administration and Cabinet
Following her victory in the 2005 election, Sirleaf pledged to promote national reconciliation by bringing in opposition leaders into her administration.[78] Opposition politicians who joined her initial administration included Minister of Transport Jeremiah Sulunteh, Minister of Education Joseph Korto, and Ambassador to the United Nations Nathaniel Barnes. Sirleaf also appointed several women to high-level posts in her administration, with female ministers initially leading the Ministries of Finance, Law, Commerce and Industry, Gender and Development, and Youth and Sports.[79] Sirleaf said that while she had planned on appointing an all-female cabinet, she had been unable to find qualified female candidates for every position.[59]
Upon her inauguration, Sirleaf promised that she would impose a "zero tolerance" policy on corruption within the government.[80] Despite this, critics have argued that corruption remains rampant within Sirleaf's administration; Information Minister Lawrence Bropleh was sacked in 2008 over allegations that he had stolen more than $200,000 in state funds, while Internal Affairs Minister Ambullai Johnson, Sirleaf's brother, was dismissed in 2010 after the disappearance of funds for county development.[81][82] Sirleaf herself has acknowledged that corruption in government remains, noting that her zero tolerance policy was hampered by the need to pass major economic reforms through the Legislature, a goal that would have been impeded by significant anti-corruption legislation and prosecutions.[81] However, Sirleaf has rejected claims that she has failed to fight corruption, pointing to the establishment of the Liberian Anti-Corruption Commission and the restructuring of the General Auditing Commission.[83]
Sirleaf dismissed her entire cabinet from office on 3 November 2010, promising to reassemble the cabinet in as short a time as possible.[84] She argued that the move was taken to give her administration a "clean slate" in preparation for the final year of her term, though critics argued that the move was aimed to bolster her chances at reelection by confronting corruption in her administration.[84] By early December 2010, Sirleaf had reconstituted her entire cabinet, replacing seven of her nineteen ministers.[85][86]
First Cabinet
The First Sirleaf Cabinet | ||
---|---|---|
Office | Name | Term |
President | Ellen Johnson Sirleaf | 2006–2012 |
Vice President | Joseph Boakai | 2006–2012 |
Minister of Foreign Affairs | George Wallace Olubanke King Akerele Toga McIntosh |
2006–2007 2007–2010 2010–2012 |
Minister of Finance | Antoinette Sayeh Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan |
2006–2008 2008–2012 |
Minister of Justice and Attorney General |
Frances Johnson-Morris Philip A. Z. Banks Christiana Tah |
2006–2007 2007–2009 2009–2012 |
Minister of National Defense | Brownie Samukai | 2006–2012 |
Minister of Internal Affairs | Ambullai Johnson Harrison Kahnweah |
2006–2010 2010–2012 |
Minister of Education | Joseph Korto E. Othello Gongar |
2006–2010 2010–2012 |
Minister of Posts and Telecommunications |
Jackson E. Doe Jeremiah Sulunteh Frederick B. Norkeh |
2006–2008 2008–2010 2010–2012 |
Minister of Public Works | Willis Knuckles Luseni Donzo Samuel Kofi Woods |
2006 2007–2009 2009–2012 |
Minister of Agriculture | Christopher Toe Florence Chenoweth |
2006–2009 2009–2012 |
Minister of Health and Social Welfare |
Walter Gwenigale | 2006–2012 |
Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism |
Johnny McClain Lawrence Bropleh |
2006 2006–2009 |
Minister of Planning and Economic Affairs |
Toga McIntosh Amara Mohamed Konneh |
2006–2008 2008–2012 |
Minister of Lands, Mines and Energy |
Eugene Shannon Roosevelt Jayjay |
2006–2010 2010–2012 |
Minister of Commerce and Industry |
Olubanke King Akerele Frances Johnson-Morris Miatta Beysolow |
2006–2007 2007–2008 2008–2012 |
Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection |
Vabah Gayflor | 2006–2012 |
Minister of Labor | Samuel Kofi Woods Tiawon Gongloe Vabah Gayflor |
2006–2009 2009–2010 2010–2012 |
Minister of Youth and Sports |
Jamesetta Howard Wolokollie Etmonia Tarpeh |
2006–2007 2007–2012 |
Minister of Transport | Jeremiah Sulunteh Jackson E. Doe Alphonso Gaye Willard Russell |
2006–2008 2008–2009 2009–2010 2010–2012 |
Minister of State for Presidential Affairs |
Morris Dukuly Willis Knuckles Edward B. McClain Jr. |
2006 2006–2007 2007–2012 |
Second Cabinet
The Second Sirleaf Cabinet | ||
---|---|---|
Office | Name | Term |
President | Ellen Johnson Sirleaf | 2012–2018 |
Vice President | Joseph Boakai | 2012–2018 |
Minister of Foreign Affairs | Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan Marjon Kamara |
2012–2015 2015–2018 |
Minister of Finance | Amara Mohamed Konneh Boima Kamara |
2012–2016 2016–2018 |
Minister of Justice and Attorney General |
Christiana Tah Benedict F. Sannoh Frederick Cherue |
2012–2014 2014–2016 2016–2018 |
Minister of National Defense | Brownie Samukai | 2012–2018 |
Minister of Internal Affairs | Blamo Nelson Morris Dukuly Henrique Tokpa |
2012–2013 2013–2015 2015–2018 |
Minister of Education | Etmonia David Tarpeh George Werner |
2012–2015 2015–2018 |
Minister of Posts and Telecommunications |
Frederick B. Norkeh | 2012–2018 |
Minister of Public Works | Samuel Kofi Woods Antoinette Weeks Gyude Moore |
2012–2013 2013–2014 2014–2018 |
Minister of Agriculture | Florence Chenoweth Moses Zinnah |
2012–2014 2014–2018 |
Minister of Health and Social Welfare |
Walter Gwenigale Bernice Dahn |
2012–2015 2015–2018 |
Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism |
Lewis Brown Lenn Eugene Nagbe |
2012–2016 2016–2018 |
Minister of Lands, Mines and Energy |
Patrick Sendolo | 2002–2018 |
Minister of Commerce and Industry |
Miatta Beysolow Axel Addy |
2012–2013 2013–2018 |
Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection |
Julia Duncan-Cassell | 2012–2018 |
Minister of Labor | Juah Lawson Neto Z. Lighe |
2012–2014 2014–2018 |
Minister of Youth and Sports |
Tornorlah Vapilah Lenn Eugene Nagbe Saah N'tow |
2012–2013 2013–2016 2016–2018 |
Minister of Transport | Lenn Eugene Nagbe Angela Cassell Bush |
2012–2013 2013–2018 |
Minister of State for Presidential Affairs |
Edward B. McClain Jr. | 2012–2016 |
Judicial appointments
Upon the inauguration of Sirleaf, the entire Supreme Court bench, which had been selected as part of the transitional government in 2003, stepped down, leaving Sirleaf to fill all five seats on the Court. Sirleaf nominated Johnnie Lewis, a Yale Law School graduate and former Circuit Court judge, for the office of Chief Justice.[87] Lewis and three of Sirleaf's Associate Justice nominees, J. Emmanuel Wureh, Francis Korkpor and Gladys Johnson, were confirmed by the Senate on 2 March 2006.[88] Sirleaf's nomination of Kabineh Ja'neh, a former leader in the rebel LURD movement, as Associate Justice received criticism from the opposition Congress for Democratic Change due to concerns over Ja'neh's human rights record during the civil war, and Ja'neh was not confirmed until 9 May.[79][89]
Following the death of Justice Wureh in July 2006, Sirleaf nominated Christiana Tah, a deputy minister at the Justice Ministry, to fill his seat.[90] However, the Senate later rejected Tah's nomination, leading Sirleaf to nominate her Minister of Youth and Sports, Jamesetta Howard Wolokollie, who was confirmed.[90] Justice Johnson retired from the Court on 26 March 2011 after reaching the constitutionally mandated retirement age of seventy.[90] Sirleaf nominated Phillip A. Z. Banks, her former Minister of Justice and Chairman of the Law Reform Commission, to replace Johnson in August 2011.[91] Banks was confirmed by the Senate on 20 August 2011.[92]
International image
Forbes magazine named Sirleaf as the 51st most powerful woman in the world in 2006.[93] In 2010, Newsweek listed her as one of the ten best leaders in the world, while Time counted her among the top ten female leaders.[94][95] That same year, The Economist called her "arguably the best president the country has ever had."[96] In 2010, Sirleaf released her first book, This Child Will Be Great: Memoir of a Remarkable Life by Africa's First Woman President.[97]
Life after politics
In 2018, Johnson Sirleaf founded the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development, which aims "to be a catalyst for change across Africa, by helping unleash its most abundant untapped power – its women".[98] In 2019, Director-General of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom appointed Johnson Sirleaf as the WHO Goodwill Ambassador for the health workforce.[99] Amid the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, she stepped down from this post to serve as co-chair (alongside Helen Clark) of the WHO’s Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response (IPPR).[100][101] Also in 2020, she was appointed to the Development Advisory Council of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation.[102]
In addition, Johnson Sirleaf holds a number of paid and unpaid positions, including the following:
Personal life
In 1956, Ellen Johnson married James Sirleaf. They had four sons together before their divorce.[13] She grew up as a Presbyterian, but later joined her husband's Methodist faith.[106] Through her sons she has ten grandchildren.
While attending college in the United States, Sirleaf became a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and she is an honorary member of the Links, Incorporated. She is the aunt to American actress/comic Retta (born Marietta Sirleaf),[107] best known for her role as Donna Meagle on the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation.[108]
Several of her children served in the Liberian government. Her son Robert Sirleaf served as head of the National Oil Company of Liberia, Charles Sirleaf holds a senior position at the Central Bank of Liberia, and stepson Fombah Sirleaf heads the Liberian National Security Agency, with responsibility for internal security. Other members of the Sirleaf family are serving in other positions in government.[109][110]
In December 2021, James Sirleaf one of the sons of Ellen Sirleaf died in his residence in Liberia under unknown circumstances.
Criticism
She was accused in 2014 of interfering with a criminal investigation involving her stepson Fombah Sirleaf and the security agency.[111][112] Her Minister of Justice Christiana Tah resigned in October 2014, accusing President Sirleaf of interference with the criminal investigation into the illegal seizure of money from Korean businessmen by the NSA in a warrantless hotel raid in July 2014.[112]
In 2019, her son, Charles Sirleaf, was charged with economic sabotage through the unlawful printing of local currency to the value of $75 million USD. The investigation was carried out by investigative auditing firm Kroll. [113]
Paradise Papers
In November 2017, an investigation conducted by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalism cited Sirleaf among the list of politicians named in "Paradise Papers" allegations.[114]
Awards
![](../I/Elllen_Johnson_statue_(cropped).jpg.webp)
- Recipient of the 1988 Roosevelt Institute Freedom of Speech Award[115]
- Ralph Bunche International Leadership Award
- Chief of Order of the Golden Heart of Kenya highest in Kenya
- Grand commander Star of Africa Redemption of Liberia
- 1996 Commander of the Order of Mono[116]
- 2006 Common Ground Award recipient, Search for Common Ground[117]
- 2006 Laureate of the Africa Prize for Leadership for the Sustainable End of Hunger, The Hunger Project[118]
- 2006 Distinguished Fellow, Claus M. Halle Institute for Global Learning, Emory University[119]
- 2006 Awarded Honorary Doctor of Laws from Marquette University[120]
- 2006 David Rockefeller Bridging Leadership Award from Synergos[121]
- 2007 Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award given by the United States, awarded to Sirleaf by U.S. President George W. Bush on 5 November 2007[122]
- 2008 Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement[123]
- 2008 Awarded Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Indiana University,[124] Dartmouth College;[125] and Brown University.[126]
- 2009 Awarded the EITI Award for "the rapid progress the country has made towards implementation of the EITI"[127]
- 2009 Awarded Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the University of Tampa[128]
- 2010 Awarded Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Yale University[129] and Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey[130]
- 2010 Friend of the Media in Africa Award from The African Editor's Union[131]
- 2011 Awarded Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Harvard University[132]
- 2011 African Gender Award[133]
- 2011 Nobel Peace Prize[134]
- 2012 Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development[135]
- As of 2014, she is listed as the 70th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes.[136]
- In 2017, she was awarded a title in the Nigerian chieftaincy system by Eze Samuel Ohiri of Imo, Nigeria. As a result, she is now the Ada di Ohanma of Igboland. [137]
- 2018 Won the 2017 version of the Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership[138]
Other honors
In 2011, Sirleaf was jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize with Leymah Gbowee of Liberia and Tawakkol Karman of Yemen. The three women were recognized "for their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women's rights to full participation in peace-building work."[134]
Sirleaf was conferred the Indira Gandhi Prize by Indian President Pranab Mukherjee on 12 September 2013.[135] In 2016, she was listed as the 83rd-most powerful woman in the world by Forbes magazine.[136][139]
Published works
- Johnson Sirleaf, Ellen; Nyirjesy, Francis (1991). The Outlook for Commercial Bank Lending to Sub-Saharan Africa (Report). World Bank. Retrieved 14 December 2010.
- Johnson Sirleaf, Ellen (1999). "From Disaster to Development". In Cahill, Kevin (ed.). A Framework for Survival: Health, Human Rights, and Humanitarian Assistance in Conflicts and Disasters. New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-92235-7.
- Johnson Sirleaf, Ellen; Rehn, Elizabeth (2002). Women, War and Peace: The Independent Experts' Assessment on the Impact of Armed Conflict on Women and Women's Role in Peace-building. New York: UNIFEM. ISBN 0-912917-66-0.
- Johnson Sirleaf, Ellen (2009). "Foreword". In Van Der Gaag, Nikki (ed.). Because I am a Girl: In the Shadow of War. Woking: Plan UK. pp. 10–11. ISBN 978-0-9550479-4-7.
See also
- Black Nobel Prize laureates
- List of female Nobel laureates
- Iron Ladies of Liberia
- List of peace activists
References
- "Johnson Sirleaf, Ellen Eugenia, (born 29 Oct. 1938), President of Liberia, since 2006", Who's Who, Oxford University Press, 1 December 2015, doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u271942, retrieved 30 March 2022
- "Ellen Johnson Sirleaf | Biography, Nobel Peace Prize, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
- "Liberia's President Ellen Sirleaf, Becomes First Female ECOWAS Chair". GhanaStar.com. 5 June 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
- Kramer, Reed (11 December 2005). "Liberia: Showered With Enthusiasm, Liberia's President-Elect Receives High-Level Reception in Washington". All Africa.com. Retrieved 15 December 2005.
- "Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 14 December 2010.
- Kofa, Tleh (28 September 2005). "Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf finally confesses to funding Liberian civil war". The Liberian Dialogue. Archived from the original on 9 June 2009. Retrieved 14 March 2010.
- "Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf: Liberia's 'Iron Lady'". CBC News. 28 March 2006. Archived from the original on 26 August 2010. Retrieved 3 September 2010.
- Koblanck, Anna (4 November 2005). "Liberian Becomes Africa's First Elected Female Prez". Women's eNews. Archived from the original on 12 November 2005. Retrieved 13 April 2006.
- Bobby-Evans, Alistair. "Biography: Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Liberia's 'Iron Lady'". About.com. Retrieved 14 December 2010.
- "Ellen!". Harvard University Harvard Kennedy School. Spring 2006.
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|url=
(help) - "Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's tribal roots and Americo Liberian background". Liberia Past And Present. Retrieved 14 December 2010.
- "Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Biography and Interview". www.achievement.org. American Academy of Achievement.
- Bergner, Daniel (22 October 2010). "An Uncompromising Woman". New York Times Magazine.
- "Sirleaf, Ellen Johnson". Encyclopedia.com.
- "Economics". CU Boulder website. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
- "The voice of reform". Harvard Gazette. 10 March 2011.
- Robinson, Jack. "Mrs. Sirleaf on 'Stimulating the Economy'", Liberian Age, 29 June 1973, pp. 1–2.
- Agaba, Dennis. "Ellen Johnson Sirleaf: First female African president". The New Times Rwanda. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
- Sherman, Frank (31 January 2010). Liberia: The Land, Its People, History and Culture. New Africa Press. ISBN 978-9987-16-025-9.
- "Opinion | When the World Bank came to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's rescue". The Washington Post. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
- "President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf | Harvard Africa Alumni Action Forum". harvardafricaalumni.com. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
- "The Nobel Peace Prize 2011". NobelPrize.org. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
- African Leaders. Bankole Kamara Taylor.
- Kasuka, Bridgette (2013). Prominent African Leaders Since Independence. New Africa Press. ISBN 9789987160266.
- "Ellen Johnson Sirleaf | Biography, Nobel Peace Prize, & Facts". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
- Fickling, David (23 November 2005). "Johnson-Sirleaf declared Liberian president". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
- "Liberia President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf to stand again". BBC News. 26 January 2010. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
- Keating, Joshua E. (19 August 2011). "The Men Who Would Be Queen". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
- Kamara, Varney (1 November 2010). "Sirleaf, Boakai Get Sec-Term Mandate". allAfrica.com. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
- Ford, Tamasin (9 October 2011). "Ellen Johnson Sirleaf faces a tough presidential election in Liberia". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
- Nossiter, Adam (9 October 2011). "Nobel Winner Doesn't Want to Talk About It on the Campaign Trail". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
- "Sirleaf urges Liberians to vote despite Tubman boycott". BBC News. 5 November 2011. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
- "Liberia election: Tubman to boycott run-off". BBC News. 4 November 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2011.
- "Polls open for Liberian run-off vote". Global Post. 8 November 2011. Archived from the original on 22 November 2011. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
- "Liberia's Sirleaf appoints nun to probe poll violence". Yahoo! News. Agence France-Presse. 15 November 2011. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
- Johnson Sirleaf, Ellen (11 November 2011). "Allow Legal Process to Run Course: Sirleaf on Closure of Media Institutions". Executive Mansion. FrontPageAfrica. Retrieved 11 November 2011.
- Mawolo, Adolphus (16 January 2012). "Liberia's Sirleaf takes presidential oath". AFP / Google. Agence France-Presse. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
- "Ellen Johnson Sirleaf: Liberia's president expelled from her party". BBC News. 14 January 2018. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
- Reporter, FPA. "FPA - Liberia's Outgoing Ruling Party Expels President Sirleaf". www.frontpageafricaonline.com. Archived from the original on 14 January 2018. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
- "In Liberia, Report on Executive Mansion Fire Rules Out Arson". Voice of America. 4 September 2006.
- Daygbor, Nathaniel (20 September 2010). "Mansion's Renovation Not Priority". The New Dawn.
- Gordon, Glenna (19 August 2009). "Inside Liberia's Other Executive Mansion". GlobalPost.
- African Leaders. Bankole Kamara Taylor.
- "Liberian President Sirleaf Signs FOI Law; Regional First", freedominfo.org, 5 October 2010.
- "Liberia: President Signs Freedom of Information Law". allAfrica.com. 6 October 2010.
- "Sirleaf Sets Continental Record". allAfrica.com. 20 October 2010.
- "The President's 'April Fool'". New Democrat. 5 April 2011.
- "Liberia: Pres. Johnson-Sirleaf Returns Triumphantly". Africa News. 16 February 2007.
- "Liberia: G-8 Rallies for Country's Debts". Africa News. 24 September 2007.
- "Liberia Slashes USD$1.2 Billion Commercial Debt" (Press release). Monrovia: The Executive Mansion. 16 April 2009. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 14 December 2010.
- "Liberia on track for HIPC debt relief this year: IMF". Reuters Africa. 16 February 2010. Archived from the original on 18 January 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
- Kennedy, George (2 June 2010). "Liberia Reaches HIPC Completion Point". The Liberian Observer. Archived from the original on 5 June 2010. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
- "Liberia: IMF and World Bank Announce U.S.$4.6 Billion Debt Relief". AllAfrica.com. 29 June 2010.
- "Liberia: Paris Club Clears More Than U.S.$1 Billion Debt Liberia Owes Its Creditors". AllAfrica.com. 16 September 2010.
- Toweh, Alphonso (19 July 2010). "Liberia ready to borrow again: finance minister". Reuters Africa. Archived from the original on 20 January 2012.
- "Sirleaf should be banned from office: Liberia truth commission". Agence France-Presse. 6 July 2009. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
- Gettleman, Jeffrey (13 August 2009). "Clinton Supports President of Liberia". The New York Times.
- Konneh, Ansu (28 August 2010). "Liberian Parliament Delay Action on Truth Commission Findings". Bloomberg News.
- "A Conversation with Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President, Republic of Liberia". Council on Foreign Relations. 25 May 2010. Archived from the original on 19 October 2010. Retrieved 30 October 2010.
- Sieh, Rodney (7 October 2010). "Interview: Varney Sherman on New UP Pickups Saga; Re-Electing Ellen". FrontPageAfrica. Archived from the original on 5 October 2011.
- "Liberian Supreme Court Squashes Truth And Reconciliation Commission Ban on Politicians". NetNewsPublisher. 24 January 2011. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011.
- Ford, Tamasin; Allen, Bonnie (19 March 2012). "Nobel peace prize winner defends law criminalising homosexuality in Liberia". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
- "2010 Human Rights Report: Liberia". United States Department of State. 8 April 2011. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
- "Letters: Liberia sex laws". The Guardian. London. 22 March 2012. Retrieved 24 March 2012.
- Tamasin Ford & Bonnie Allen (19 March 2012). "Liberia's president and Tony Blair discuss anti-gay law – video". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
- "Liberia's president-elect Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf in Ivory Coast on first foreign trip". AP Worldstream. 29 November 2005. Archived from the original on 12 May 2013.
- Sengbeh, D Kaihenneh (24 January 2011). "MRU Opposes Force by Ecowas in Côte Ivoire". The 1847 Post. Archived from the original on 2 September 2011.
- "Liberian President disappointed over U.S. decision on AFRICOM". Emerging Minds. 24 February 2008. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011.
- "Liberia: President Sirleaf Thanks U.S. Congress, Asks for Continuing Support". allAfrica.com. 15 March 2006.
- Campbell, Janjay (1 October 2007). "Liberia: Ellen Renews "One China" Commitment". allAfrica.com.
- "Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Attends the Hand-over Ceremony of China-aided LBS Rehabilitation and Expansion Project and the Launching of CRI FM Programs in Liberia". Embassy of the People's Republic of China to the Republic of Liberia. 19 November 2008.
- "Remarks at the Handover Ceremony of the China-aided Fendall Campus of the University of Liberia". Embassy of the People's Republic of China to the Republic of Liberia. 20 July 2010.
- "Council of Women World Leaders Biographies" (PDF). wilsoncenter.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 December 2017. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
- "GNN Personality of the Week: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf As She Turns 78 Years Tomorrow Saturday -". 28 October 2016. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
- "President Sirleaf against air strikes in Libya". Afrique Avenir. 29 March 2011. Retrieved 5 April 2011.
- "Liberia cuts ties with Gaddafi's Libya". Reuters Africa. 14 June 2011. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011.
- "Statement by the Press Secretary on the Visit of Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf". whitehouse.gov. 20 February 2015 – via National Archives.
- "Profile: Liberia's 'Iron Lady'". BBC News. 23 November 2005.
- "Sirleaf starts to form government, some appointments spark protest". IRIN Africa. 14 February 2006.
- "West Africa: Mixed report card in 2008 corruption index". IRIN. 28 September 2008.
- Mahtani, Dino (28 May 2010). "Tarnishing the Iron Lady of Africa". Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on 18 November 2013. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
- Butty, James (10 December 2010). "Liberian Minister Vows Jury Reform Following Bropleh Corruption Trial". Voice of America.
- Butty, James (27 June 2011). "Liberian President Sirleaf: Country Making Progress, Challenges Remain". Voice of America.
- "Liberian Leader Dissolves Cabinet". The New York Times. 3 November 2010.
- "Liberian president Sirleaf fully reconstitutes cabinet". Afrique Avenir. 6 December 2010. Archived from the original on 30 January 2012.
- "15 women leading the way for girls' education". www.globalpartnership.org. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
- "Johnny Lewis Named Chief Justice Frances Johnson Morris is Justice Minister". allAfrica.com. 13 February 2006.
- "Pres. Sirleaf Commissions Chief Justice, Associate". allAfrica.com. 3 March 2011.
- "Senate Finally Confirms Ja'neh to Supreme Court". allAfrica.com. 10 May 2006.
- "Void on the Bench". FrontPageAfrica. 3 April 2011.
- "Cllr. Philip Banks Nominated as Associate Justice of Supreme Court". The Executive Mansion. 9 August 2011. Archived from the original on 25 January 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
- Nyenur, Tom B. (21 August 2011). "Amid Controversy – Senate Confirms Banks As Associate Justice". FrontPageAfrica. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
- Serafin, Tatiana (31 August 2006). "The 100 Most Powerful Women: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf". Forbes.
- McLure, Jason (16 August 2010). "The Rebuilder: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf". Newsweek.
- Adams, William Lee (7 September 2010). "Top 10 Female Leaders". Time. Archived from the original on 25 August 2010.
- "Another Round for Africa's Iron Lady". The Economist. 22 May 2010.
- Cooper, Helene (15 May 2009). "Madame President". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
- "Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Launches Women's Center as Change Catalyst". AllAfrica.com. 19 March 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
- Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf appointed as WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Health Workforce World Health Organization, press release of 20 May 2019.
- [WHO chief taps ex-leaders to head COVID-19 response panel] Associated Press, 9 July 2020.
- John Miller (9 July 2020), Veteran female leaders to head WHO COVID-19 review amid anti-globalism barbs Reuters.
- Development Advisory Council U.S. International Development Finance Corporation.
- High-Level Group of Personalities on Africa-Europe Relations Africa Europe Foundation (AEF).
- Advisory Board Brenthurst Foundation.
- Our Leadership: Board Mastercard Foundation.
- "Gov't Rejects Newspaper Story Archived 12 May 2014 at the Wayback Machine". The News 7 May 2014. Retrieved 2014-05-09.
- "Retta – About – Parks and Recreation – NBC".
- "'Parks and Recreation' Has a Nobel Peace Prize Connection". The Hollywood Reporter. 7 October 2011.
- "Mixed reactions over President Sirleaf's claim of family not wealthy" Archived 8 July 2016 at the Wayback Machine, 2016.
- "Richard Tolbert Indicted: Sirleaf, Saytumah, Kupee Fate Undecided". Archived from the original on 11 June 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
- "Committee Setup To Investigate President Sirleaf's Son on Seizure of Korean US$247,000.00 Releases Report With Recommendations; Ordering Refund of the Money". GNN Liberia. 8 November 2014.
- "Liberia's Ebola Crisis Puts President in Harsh Light". The New York Times. 30 October 2014.
- "Sirleaf son charged over Liberia banknotes". BBC News. 5 March 2019. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
- "Explore The Politicians in the Paradise Papers". ICIJ. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
- "Recipients of the Four Freedoms Award". Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute. Archived from the original on 21 August 2011. Retrieved 14 December 2010.
- "Ellen Johnson Sirleaf -". Archives of Women's Political Communication. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
- "Common Ground Awards 2006". Search for Common Ground. Retrieved 14 December 2010.
- "President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf: 2006 Africa Prize Laureate". The Hunger Project. 2006. Archived from the original on 26 March 2008. Retrieved 14 December 2010.
- "Ellen Johnson Sirleaf: Halle Distinguished Fellow, September 12, 2006". Emory University. Retrieved 14 December 2010.
- "Honorary Degree Recipient: Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf". Marquette University. 23 October 2006. Retrieved 14 December 2010.
- "2006 David Rockefeller Bridging Leadership Award Honorees". Synergos. 12 October 2006. Archived from the original on 13 December 2011.
- "President Bush Announces Recipients of Presidential Medal of Freedom" (Press release). White House Office of the Press Secretary. 29 October 2007.
- "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement". www.achievement.org. American Academy of Achievement.
- "Liberian president receiving honorary degree at IU Bloomington commencement" (Press release). Indiana University. 8 April 2010.
- "Dartmouth 2008 Honorary Degree Recipient Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf (Doctor of Laws)" (Press release). Dartmouth College. Archived from the original on 16 September 2013. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
- "Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to Receive Honorary Degree" (Press release). Brown University. 8 September 2009.
- "Eiti Awards Government for Progress, As President Sirleaf Returns Home" (Press release). AllAfrica.com. 18 February 2009.
- "UT Honorary Doctorate Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Named Nobel Peace Prize Recipient". The University of Tampa. 7 October 2011. Archived from the original on 17 October 2011. Retrieved 7 October 2011.
- Zuckerman, Esther (23 May 2010). "Liberian president to receive honorary degree". Yale Daily News. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011.
- "2010 Commencement/Convocations". Rutgers University. 25 May 2010. Archived from the original on 1 July 2010.
- "President Sirleaf Receives African Editors Honor" (Press release). Monrovia: The Executive Mansion. 18 October 2010. Archived from the original on 22 November 2010.
- "Harvard awards 9 honorary degrees", Harvard Gazette, 26 May 2011.
- "'You Have Brought Honor to All African Women,' Senegal's Wade Says" (Press release). Monrovia: The Executive Mansion. 18 June 2011. Archived from the original on 5 July 2011.
- "The Nobel Peace Prize 2011 – Press Release". Nobel Foundation. Retrieved 7 October 2011.
- "Liberia President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to get Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace". Retrieved 11 September 2013.
- "The World's 100 Most Powerful Women". Forbes. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
- "Photos: Okorocha honours Ellen Johnson Sirleaf with chieftaincy title, Ada di Ohanma of Igboland". juliablaise.com. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
- "Ellen Johnson Sirleaf wins 2017 Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership". Mo Ibrahim Foundation. 12 February 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
- "The Nobel Peace Prize 2011". NobelPrize.org. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
Sources
- Anderson, Jon Lee. "Letter from Liberia: After the Warlords", The New Yorker, 27 March 2006. Retrieved 14 December 2010.
- Johnson Sirleaf, Ellen (2009). This Child Will Be Great: Memoir of a Remarkable Life by Africa's First Woman President. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06-135347-5.
Further reading
External links
![](../I/Commons-logo.svg.png.webp)
- Liberia Executive Mansion official government website
- "Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority salutes member Ellen Johnson Sirleaf".
- Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Liberia includes final report
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Ellen Johnson Sirleaf at IMDb
- Works by or about Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
- Ellen Johnson Sirleaf collected news and commentary at Forbes
- Ellen Johnson Sirleaf collected news and commentary at The New York Times
- https://twitter.com/MaEllenSirleaf?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
- https://live.worldbank.org/experts/ellen-johnson-sirleaf
Speeches
- Address to US Congress in Joint Session 15 March 2006 TXT PDF
- Sirleaf Speaks at U.S. Institute of Peace, 21 March 2006 (audio archive available)
- Liberian President Speaks to Georgetown Community, 17 October 2006
Profiles and interviews
- "Profile: Liberia's 'Iron Lady'" on BBC News Online, 23 November 2005
- "Who Is President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf?" on News Ghana, 1 November 2015
- Top 100 Women in Politics: Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Ermine Saner, The Guardian, 8 March 2011
- "Ellen Johnson Sirleaf". The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. 21 April 2009. Retrieved 7 October 2011.
- Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Freedom Collection interview
- Ellen Johnson Sirleaf on Nobelprize.org