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
are to try that.

(Laughter)

(Applause and cheers)

Once the glass ceiling has been broken,

it can never be put back together.

However, one will try to do that.

When I assumed the presidency of Liberia,

in January 2006,

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

collasped 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 postions.

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 the best 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 and 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 a point --

numerous women in junior
administerial positons.

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 were being
reconstructed at a very fast pace.

Our institutions were functioning again.

Our debt --

of 4.9 billion --

had been largely cancelled.

We had good relationships
with the international money tariff 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,

who 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 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-Sahara Africa has had
major breakthroughs

in women leadership
and participation,

particularly in the legislature,

in parliament as it's called,

so many women --

50 percent and over

... nation --

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 the joining of leadership.

With women who have excelled

and advanced in leadership together.

Over a 10 year period,

I strongly believe

that we will create this wave of women

who are prepared to take,

unabashedly,

intentional leader and influence
throughout society.

This is why --

(Laughter)

at 81 I cannot retire.

(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)