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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[br]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[br]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[br]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[br]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[br]in strategic positions.

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I recruited a very able economist[br]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[br]of foreign affairs,

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to reactivate our bilateral[br]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[br]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[br]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[br]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[br]had peaked at nine percent.

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Our infrastructure was being[br]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[br]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[br]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[br]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[br]was increasingly toxic.

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I had my fair shares[br]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[br]leaders are needed.

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For there will always be those[br]who will tear us down,

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who will tear us apart,

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because they want[br]the status quo to remain.

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Although sub-Saharan Africa[br]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,[br]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[br]more work to be done.

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The work will have to address[br]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[br]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[br]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[br]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[br]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)