Women's History: Africa’s ‘Iron Lady’

“I don’t run a woman government. I run a government of people. Of course, I am the first democratically elected woman president in Africa, and that raises a lot of expectations. Because I represent the aspirations of women all over Africa, I must succeed for them. I must keep the door open for women’s participation in politics at the highest level. That is both humbling and exciting.”

Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf beat ex-international football star George Weah in a 2005 election for the Liberian presidency. That was the easy part. Now the world waits to see if ‘Ma’ Sirleaf can bring economic success to a country torn by a history of class divisions and civil war.

There are many reasons why Mrs. Johnson -Sirleaf’s story is special; the most obvious being the fact that she is the first woman to ever be elected President of an African state. Her opponent in the 2005 election may have been a young (39 to her 67 years) man, known across the continent as Africa’s greatest football player, but Mrs. Johnson-Sirlaeaf had the upper hand in terms of political experience and education. She is a Harvard educated economist and has held many international finance positions since the 1970s. She has also been involved in politics under several Liberian governments and has been directly impacted by the country’s instability, when she was imprisoned, almost executed and forced to go into exile in the 1980s.

Also, interesting is how she is seen by Liberians, supporters and detractors alike. Mrs. Johnson-Sirleaf manages to balance the stereotypical image of the nurturing woman, with her own reputation as a woman of steely determination. She has earned both nicknames of the affectionate “Ma” and “The Iron Lady”, a moniker shared by former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. It appears that compassion and determination are the qualities Mrs. President will need to heal Liberia’s war-wounds and deal with its legacy of violent politics, corruption and the thousands of ex-combatants still causing unrest. Liberia today is in the process of envisioning and creating a future untainted by the blood spilled in the past. Mrs. Johnson-Sirleaf has set up a Truth and Reconciliation Commission modeled on the South African post-Apartheid organization.

Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf’s story is especially important to me as an African girl. When I was growing up in Zambia, every year the government would hold campaigns to educate girls, because even today in many African countries they are not sent to school at all. It is seen as more important to have girls stay home and help their mothers run the household. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf’s presidency is a huge leap forward for all women on a continent where, for girls, education is a privilege instead of a right.