WEBVTT

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I was the first woman president

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of an African nation.

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And I do believe more countries
ought to try that.

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(Laughter)

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(Applause and cheers)

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Once the glass ceiling has been broken,

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it can never be put back together --

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however one would try to do that.

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When I assumed the presidency of Liberia

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in January 2006,

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we faced the tremendous challenges
of a post-conflict nation:

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collapsed economy,

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destroyed infrastructure,

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dysfunctional institutions,

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enormous debt,

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bloated civil service.

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We also faced

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the challenges of those left behind.

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The primary victims of all civil wars:

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women and children.

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On my first day in office,

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I was excited ...

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and I was exhausted.

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It had been a very long climb

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to where I was.

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Women had been those who suffered most

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in our civil conflict,

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and women had been the ones to resolve it.

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Our history records

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many women of strength and action.

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A President of the United Nations
General Assembly,

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a renowned circuit court judge,

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a president of the University of Liberia.

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I knew that I had to form

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a very strong team

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with the capacity to address

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the challenges of our nation.

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And I wanted to put women
in all top positions.

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But I knew that was not possible.

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And so I settled for putting them
in strategic positions.

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I recruited a very able economist
from the World Bank

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to be our minister of finance,

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to lead our debt-relief effort.

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Another to be the minister
of foreign affairs,

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to reactivate our bilateral
and multilateral relationships.

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The first woman chief of police

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to address the fears of our women,

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who had suffered so much
during the civil war.

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Another to be the minister of gender,

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to be able to ensure the protection
and the participation of women.

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Over time,

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the minister of justice,

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the minister of public works,

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the minister of agriculture,

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the minister of commerce and industry.

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Participation in leadership

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was unprecedented in my administration.

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And although I knew

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that there were not enough women
with the experience

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to form an all-women cabinet --

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as I wanted --

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I settled to appoint numerous women

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in junior ministerial positions,

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as executives,

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as administrators,

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in local government,

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in diplomatic service,

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in the judiciary,

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in public institutions.

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It worked.

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At the end of 2012,

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our economic growth
had peaked at nine percent.

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Our infrastructure was being
reconstructed at a very fast pace.

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Our institutions were functioning again.

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Our debt of 4.9 billion

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had been largely canceled.

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We had good relationships
with the International Monetary Fund,

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the World Bank,

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the African Development Bank.

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We also had good working relationships

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with all our sister African countries

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and many nations all over the world.

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Our women could sleep
peacefully at night again,

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without fear.

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Our children were smiling again,

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as I promised them during
my first inaugural address.

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The reputation and credibility

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of our nation,

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lost in the many years of conflict,

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were restored.

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But progress is never guaranteed.

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And in our legislature, in my first term,

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women were 14 percent.

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In the second term,

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it declined to eight percent,

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because the environment
was increasingly toxic.

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I had my fair shares
of criticism and toxicity.

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Nobody is perfect.

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But there's nothing more predictable

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than a strong woman

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who wants to change things,

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who's brave to speak out,

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who's bold in action.

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But I'm OK with the criticism.

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I know why I made the decisions I made,

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and I'm happy with the results.

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But that's why more women
leaders are needed.

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For there will always be those
who will tear us down,

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who will tear us apart

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because they want
the status quo to remain.

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Although sub-Saharan Africa
has had major breakthroughs

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in women's leadership and participation,

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particularly in the legislature --

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in parliament, as it's called --

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so many women,

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50 percent and over, one of our nations,

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well over 60 percent,
the best in the world --

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but we know that's not enough.

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While we must be very thankful

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and applaud the progress we have made,

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we know that there is much
more work to be done.

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The work will have to address
the lingering vestiges

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of structural ...

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something against women.

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In too many places,

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political parties

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are based on patronage,

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patriarchy,

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misogyny

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that try to keep women

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from their rightful places,

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that shut them out

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from taking leadership positions.

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Too often, women face --

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while the best performers,

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while equal or better in competence --

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unequal pay.

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And so we must continue to work

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to change things.

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We must be able to change
the stereotyping.

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We must be able to ensure

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that those structural barriers

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that have kept women

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from being able to have the equity
they rightfully deserve.

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And we must also work with men.

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Because increasingly,

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there is recognition

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that full gender equity

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will ensure a stronger economy,

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a more developed nation,

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a more peaceful nation.

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And that is why we must continue to work.

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And that is why we're partners.

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I will be launching a Center
for Women and Development

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that will bring together --

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(Applause)

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women who have started

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and are committed
to their joining of leadership.

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With women who have excelled

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and advanced in leadership together.

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Over a 10-year period,

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we strongly believe

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that we will create this wave of women

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who are prepared to take,

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unabashedly,

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intentional leadership and influence

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throughout society.

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This is why --

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(Laughs)

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at 81, I cannot retire.

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(Applause and laughter)

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(Applause and cheers)

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Women are working for change

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in Africa.

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Women are working for change

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throughout the world.

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I will be with them,

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and one of them,

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forever.

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(Applause)

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Thank you for listening.

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Go out and change the world.

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(Applause and cheers)