How women will lead us to freedom, justice and peace

"I was the first woman president of an African nation, and I do believe more countries ought to try that," says H.E. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Nobel laureate and former president of Liberia. Telling the story of how Liberian women helped rebuild their country after years of civil war, Sirleaf discusses why gender equality is essential to peace and prosperity -- and shares her plan to uplift a generation of women prepared to take leadership positions and catalyze social change.

I was the first woman president

of an African nation.

And I do believe more countries
ought to try that.

(Laughter)

(Applause and cheers)

Once the glass ceiling has been broken,

it can never be put back together --

however one would try to do that.

When I assumed the presidency of Liberia

in January 2006,

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

collapsed economy,

destroyed infrastructure,

dysfunctional institutions,

enormous debt,

bloated civil service.

We also faced

the challenges of those left behind.

The primary victims of all civil wars:

women and children.

On my first day in office,

I was excited ...

and I was exhausted.

It had been a very long climb

to where I was.

Women had been those who suffered most

in our civil conflict,

and women had been the ones to resolve it.

Our history records

many women of strength and action.

A President of the United Nations
General Assembly,

a renowned circuit court judge,

a president of the University of Liberia.

I knew that I had to form

a very strong team

with the capacity to address

the challenges of our nation.

And I wanted to put women
in all top positions.

But I knew that was not possible.

And so I settled for putting them
in strategic positions.

I recruited a very able economist
from the World Bank

to be our minister of finance,

to lead our debt-relief effort.

Another to be the minister
of foreign affairs,

to reactivate our bilateral
and multilateral relationships.

The first woman chief of police

to address the fears of our women,

who had suffered so much
during the civil war.

Another to be the minister of gender,

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

Over time,

the minister of justice,

the minister of public works,

the minister of agriculture,

the minister of commerce and industry.

Participation in leadership

was unprecedented in my administration.

And although I knew

that there were not enough women
with the experience

to form an all-women cabinet --

as I wanted --

I settled to appoint numerous women

in junior ministerial positions,

as executives,

as administrators,

in local government,

in diplomatic service,

in the judiciary,

in public institutions.

It worked.

At the end of 2012,

our economic growth
had peaked at nine percent.

Our infrastructure was being
reconstructed at a very fast pace.

Our institutions were functioning again.

Our debt of 4.9 billion

had been largely canceled.

We had good relationships
with the International Monetary Fund,

the World Bank,

the African Development Bank.

We also had good working relationships

with all our sister African countries

and many nations all over the world.

Our women could sleep
peacefully at night again,

without fear.

Our children were smiling again,

as I promised them during
my first inaugural address.

The reputation and credibility

of our nation,

lost in the many years of conflict,

were restored.

But progress is never guaranteed.

And in our legislature, in my first term,

women were 14 percent.

In the second term,

it declined to eight percent,

because the environment
was increasingly toxic.

I had my fair shares
of criticism and toxicity.

Nobody is perfect.

But there's nothing more predictable

than a strong woman

who wants to change things,

who's brave to speak out,

who's bold in action.

But I'm OK with the criticism.

I know why I made the decisions I made,

and I'm happy with the results.

But that's why more women
leaders are needed.

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

who will tear us apart,

because they want
the status quo to remain.

Although sub-Saharan Africa
has had major breakthroughs

in women's leadership and participation,

particularly in the legislature --

in parliament, as it's called --

so many women,

50 percent and over, one of our nations,

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

but we know that's not enough.

While we must be very thankful

and applaud the progress we have made,

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

The work will have to address
the lingering vestiges

of structural ...

something against women.

In too many places,

political parties

are based on patronage,

patriarchy,

misogyny

that try to keep women

from their rightful places,

that shut them out

from taking leadership positions.

Too often, women face --

while the best performers,

while equal or better in competence --

unequal pay.

And so we must continue to work

to change things.

We must be able to change
the stereotyping.

We must be able to ensure

that those structural barriers

that have kept women

from being able to have the equity
they rightfully deserve.

And we must also work with men.

Because increasingly,

there is recognition

that full gender equity

will ensure a stronger economy,

a more developed nation,

a more peaceful nation.

And that is why we must continue to work.

And that is why we're partners.

I will be launching a Center
for Women and Development

that will bring together --

(Applause)

women who have started

and are committed
to their joining of leadership.

With women who have excelled

and advanced in leadership together.

Over a 10-year period,

we strongly believe

that we will create this wave of women

who are prepared to take,

unabashedly,

intentional leadership and influence

throughout society.

This is why --

(Laughs)

at 81, I cannot retire.

(Applause and laughter)

(Applause and cheers)

Women are working for change

in Africa.

Women are working for change

throughout the world.

I will be with them,

and one of them,

forever.

(Applause)

Thank you for listening.

Go out and change the world.

(Applause and cheers)