‘No Return to Men’s Club’; Says President Sirleaf of African Presidency

President Sirleaf: "For me, I earned it. In those days, earning it was a challenge"

What’s the next step for African women, looking beyond the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf presidency? This was the question I posed to many shakers and movers of the women’s world during the 4th African Gender Award ceremony held in Dakar, Senegal, in June 2011. 

Hundreds of eminent women from across the African continent had converged on the Meridien President Hotel in Dakar to discuss their stake in the issue of political participation which has, in recent years, become a core issue in the region’s strategic development. The International Conference on Parity, held in Dakar, spanned from June 17 to 18, and was aimed at exchanging and networking over parity concepts and stakes related to its adoption and enforcement as men and women representatives “regulation” mechanism in decision making entities. It was about brainstorming on the ways and means to be implemented for an effective parity at institutional level in different spheres. The result of this thinking was hoped to be subject to common declaration and an action plan to implement decisions and commitments undertaken. 

I was privileged to have sat down with the President for an exclusive interview, prior to her receiving the Award. During that interaction, the Liberian leader expressed that it wouldn’t be her wish to see a return of African presidency [including Liberia’s] exclusively to men. According to her, she is grooming some women leaders in the Liberian circle to step in her footprint after she leaves office.

Taking a deep breath before addressing the question – What’s the next step for African [and Liberian] women beyond the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidency – the Liberian leader responded: 

“I don’t want to call names. There are quite a few women that are strong. Some of my women mayors are very strong. Some of my women superintendents are strong. For me, I earned it. In those days, earning it was a challenge. But things have changed. When I started politics, going to prison was a badge of honor because that really set you on the road. But today, that’s not what’s required. Today, what’s required is the ability to think well, to have a vision, to be active, to have the courage of your conviction and to stand by it. It’s easier to think that everybody will have to go through the path that I had to go through to become a political leader. I don’t think so. The requirements have changed.”

She acknowledged that not much has been done to promote women political leadership “because by this time, we should be identifying several women in several countries that could run for president. When I move from the seat, wherever time that is, we don’t want to see a return to a men’s club. We’ve got to identify where there are strong women leaders in certain African countries; perhaps those who are already in politics, who already are in parliament, in full administrative positions. And there are really strong women in many of our African countries.”

The conference was climaxed with the presentation of the African Gender Award to President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. In recognition of her gender agenda and highly visible accomplishments in areas of women’s presence in the political and judicial domains, as well as the provision of free education to the children of impoverished Liberian women, President Johnson Sirleaf was  presented the 2011 Africa Gender Award.