Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
Name	Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
Caption	Sirleaf in 2015
Office	24th President of Liberia
Term start	January 16, 2006
Term end	January 22, 2018
Vicepresident	Joseph Boakai
Predecessor	Gyude Bryant (Chairman of the Transitional Government of Liberia)
Successor	George Weah
Office2	Minister of Finance
Term start2	1972
Term end2	1973
President2	William Tolbert
Predecessor2	Charles D. Sherman
Successor2	James T. Phillips, Jr.
Birth date	29 October 1938
Birth place	Monrovia, Liberia
Party	Unity Party
Otherparty	Liberian Action Party (1985–1996), Liberian People's Party (1984–1985)
Spouse	James Sirleaf, (divorced)
Alma mater	College of West Africa, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Harvard University
Awards	Nobel Peace Prize (2011), Indira Gandhi Prize (2012), Mo Ibrahim Prize (2017)

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. A Liberian politician and economist, she served as the 24th President of Liberia from 2006 to 2018, becoming the first elected female head of state in Africa. Her administration focused on national reconstruction following the Second Liberian Civil War, attracting significant foreign investment and securing substantial debt relief. Internationally celebrated, she was a co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011 and received the Mo Ibrahim Prize for African Leadership in 2017.

Early life and education

Born in Monrovia, she was educated at the College of West Africa before traveling to the United States for higher education. She earned an associate degree in accounting from the Madison Business College and a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Colorado Boulder. She later completed a Master of Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, which equipped her with expertise in public policy and development economics.

Political career before presidency

Her early career included roles at the Ministry of Finance and the World Bank. She served as Minister of Finance under President William Tolbert but was forced into exile after the 1980 coup by Samuel Doe. Returning to Liberia, she ran for the Senate in 1985 but was imprisoned by the Doe administration for criticizing the regime. She later held senior positions at the United Nations Development Programme and the Citibank office in Nairobi, before returning to contest the 1997 presidential election, which was won by Charles Taylor.

Presidency (2006–2018)

Elected in the 2005 Liberian general election, her inauguration in 2006 marked the end of the Transitional Government of Liberia. Her presidency prioritized rebuilding infrastructure, fostering national reconciliation, and combating corruption through institutions like the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission. Key achievements included negotiating the cancellation of nearly all of Liberia's external debt through programs with the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, and overseeing a period of sustained peace. She was re-elected in the 2011 election, though it was boycotted by her main opponent, Winston Tubman.

Post-presidency and international work

Since leaving office, she has remained active in global affairs, serving as a member of The Elders and co-chairing the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on International Financial Accountability, Transparency and Integrity. She was appointed by the African Union as a Special Envoy and has undertaken diplomatic missions related to the COVID-19 pandemic and governance issues. She also leads the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development in Monrovia.

Awards and honors

Her numerous accolades include the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize, shared with Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkol Karman, for her non-violent struggle for women's safety. She received the 2012 Indira Gandhi Prize and the 2017 Mo Ibrahim Prize for exceptional African leadership. She has been awarded honorary doctorates from institutions including Yale University, Harvard University, and the University of Massachusetts Boston.

Personal life and legacy

She was married to James Sirleaf and has four sons. Her legacy is defined by stabilizing Liberia after years of conflict, championing women's political participation, and her symbolic role as "Africa's Iron Lady." Her tenure, however, has also been critiqued for not fully addressing systemic corruption and poverty. Her life and career are documented in her autobiography, *This Child Will Be Great*.

Category:1938 births Category:Living people Category:Presidents of Liberia Category:Liberian economists Category:Nobel Peace Prize laureates Category:Harvard University alumni