Ellen Johnson Sirleaf facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
Sirleaf in 2015
24th President of Liberia
In office 16 January 2006 – 22 January 2018
Vice President	Joseph Boakai
Preceded by	Gyude Bryant
Succeeded by	George Weah
Minister of Finance
In office 1979 – 12 April 1980
President	William Tolbert
Preceded by	James T. Phillips Jr.
Succeeded by	Perry Zulu
In office 1990–1990
President	Amos Sawyer
Preceded by	Emmanuel Shaw
Succeeded by	Stephen Byron Tarr
Personal details
Born	Ellen Eugenia Johnson (1938-10-29) 29 October 1938 (age 86) Monrovia, Liberia
Political party	Liberian Action Party (1985–1996) Unity (1997–2018) Independent (2018–present)
Spouse	James Sirleaf ​ ​ (m. 1956; div. 1961)​
Children	4
Relatives	Retta (niece)
Education	Madison Business College (AA) University of Colorado, Boulder (BA) Harvard University (MPA)
Awards	Nobel Peace Prize (2011)
Signature

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (born Ellen Eugenia Johnson, 29 October 1938) is a politician from Liberia. She served as the 24th president of Liberia from 2006 to 2018. Sirleaf made history as the first elected female head of state in Africa.

She was born in Monrovia, Liberia. Her father was from the Gola people and her mother had mixed Kru and German roots. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf went to the College of West Africa and then continued her studies in the United States. There, she attended Madison Business College, the University of Colorado Boulder, and Harvard University.

After her education, she returned to Liberia. She worked in the government of William Tolbert as the Deputy Minister of Finance from 1971 to 1974. Later, she worked for the World Bank in the Caribbean and Latin America. In 1979, she became the Minister of Finance, serving until 1980.

In 1980, Samuel Doe took power in a military takeover and executed President Tolbert. Sirleaf left Liberia and went to the United States. She worked for Citibank and then Equator Bank. She came back to Liberia in 1985 to run for a political seat. She was arrested for speaking out against the military government and was sentenced to prison, but she was later released.

Sirleaf remained active in politics. She ran for president in 1997 but came in second place to Charles Taylor. She won the presidential election in 2005 and became president on 16 January 2006. She was re-elected in 2011. In 2011, she received the Nobel Peace Prize. This award recognized her efforts to include women in peace-building. She has won many other awards for her strong leadership. In 2016, she became the first woman to lead the Economic Community of West African States.

Family and Background

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's father was from the Gola people. Her mother had a mix of Kru and German heritage.

Even though she was not from the Americo-Liberian ancestry group, many people saw her as culturally Americo-Liberian. This was because her parents grew up in Monrovia, a city with strong Americo-Liberian influence. Her parents were born in poor rural areas but moved to Monrovia for their education.

Her father, Jahmale Carney Johnson, was born into a Gola family in a poor rural area. He was the son of a Gola chief. He was sent to Monrovia for school and changed his last name to Johnson. He later became the first Liberian from an indigenous group to be elected to the country's national legislature.

Sirleaf's mother was also born into poverty. Her grandmother sent her to Monrovia when her German husband (Sirleaf's grandfather) had to leave the country during World War I. A well-known Americo-Liberian family adopted and raised Sirleaf's mother.

Early Life and Career

Sirleaf was born in Monrovia in 1938. She went to the College of West Africa from 1948 to 1955. At 17, she married James Sirleaf. They had four sons.

In 1961, she moved to the United States with her husband to continue her education. She earned a degree in Accounting from Madison Business College in Madison, Wisconsin. When they returned to Liberia, Sirleaf began working in the Treasury Department, which is now the Ministry of Finance. She and James later divorced.

Sirleaf went back to college and earned a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Colorado Boulder in 1970. She then studied economics and public policy at Harvard Kennedy School from 1969 to 1971, earning a master's degree. She returned to Liberia and became Assistant Minister of Finance in William Tolbert's government.

She served as Assistant Minister from 1972 to 1973. She resigned after a disagreement about government spending. A few years later, she was appointed Minister of Finance, serving from 1979 to April 1980.

On 12 April 1980, Master Sergeant Samuel Doe took power in a military takeover. He ordered the assassination of President Tolbert and the execution of most of his cabinet members. Sirleaf initially accepted a position in the new government. However, she left the country in November 1980 after she publicly criticized Doe's government.

Sirleaf first moved to Washington, D.C., and worked for the World Bank. In 1981, she moved to Nairobi, Kenya, to work for Citibank. She left Citibank in 1985 and then worked for Equator Bank.

In 1992, Sirleaf became the Director of the United Nations Development Programme's Regional Bureau for Africa. She is known as "Africa's Iron Lady" because of her strong political skills. She left this role in 1997 to run for president in Liberia. During her time at the UN, she helped investigate the Rwandan genocide and the effects of conflict on women. She also worked on women's roles in peace building.

Political Career

1985 General Election

While working at Citibank, Sirleaf returned to Liberia in 1985. She planned to run for Vice President. However, she was placed under house arrest in August 1985. She was later sentenced to ten years in prison for speaking against the government. After international calls for her release, Samuel Doe pardoned her in September. She was removed from the presidential ticket but ran for a Senate seat.

In the 1985 elections, Samuel Doe's party won the presidency and many seats in the legislature. Many people said the elections were not fair. Sirleaf was declared the winner of her Senate race, but she refused to accept the seat to protest the unfair election.

After an attempted takeover against Doe's government in November 1985, Sirleaf was arrested again. She was released in July 1986. She secretly left the country for the United States later that year.

1997 Presidential Campaign

Sirleaf campaigning in Monrovia in 2005, shortly before she was elected

At the start of the First Liberian Civil War in 1989, Sirleaf supported Charles Taylor's fight against Doe. She helped raise money for the war. However, she later disagreed with Taylor's actions during the war.

By 1996, peacekeepers from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) helped stop the fighting. Liberia held the 1997 general election. Sirleaf returned to Liberia to run for president. She ran for the Unity Party and came in second place. Charles Taylor won the election. After the election, Sirleaf left Liberia and went to Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

2005 Presidential Campaign

After the Second Liberian Civil War ended, Sirleaf was considered for a leadership role in the new government. Gyude Bryant was chosen as chairman instead. Sirleaf served as head of the Governance Reform Commission.

Sirleaf ran for president again in the 2005 general election for the Unity Party. She came in second in the first round of voting, behind George Weah, a famous former football player. In the next round of voting, Sirleaf won with 59% of the votes. Weah disagreed with the results.

On 23 November 2005, Sirleaf was declared the winner. She became Liberia's next president and the first woman to be elected president of an African country. Her inauguration was on 16 January 2006. Many important people from other countries attended, including United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

2011 Presidential Campaign

From left to right: Tawakkul Karman, Leymah Gbowee, and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf display their awards during the presentation of the Nobel Peace Prize, 10 December 2011.

In January 2010, Sirleaf announced she would run for a second term in the 2011 presidential election. Some opposition leaders noted that she had promised to serve only one term in 2005. Sirleaf was chosen again as the Unity Party's presidential candidate. Joseph Boakai was chosen as her running mate.

Sirleaf won the Nobel Peace Prize just four days before the election. Some opposition parties criticized this, saying it was "political interference." Sirleaf said the timing was a coincidence.

Sirleaf received 43.9% of the votes in the first round. This was more than any other candidate, but not enough to win outright. She faced Tubman in a second round. Tubman called for people to boycott the second round, claiming the first round was unfair. Sirleaf denied this, and international observers said the election was fair. Because of the boycott, Sirleaf won the second round with 90.7% of the votes. After the election, Sirleaf started a "national peace and reconciliation initiative" to help unite the country. She took the presidential oath for her second term on 16 January 2012.

2017 Presidential Campaign

Sirleaf supported George Weah in the 2017 presidential campaign. In January 2018, her own party, the Unity Party, expelled her. This was because she did not support her party's candidate, Joseph Boakai, who was also her Vice President.

Presidency

Domestic Policy

Sirleaf at her inauguration in Monrovia

A fire damaged the Executive Mansion, the president's official residence, in July 2006. Sirleaf's government decided that fixing the mansion was not a top priority. She moved her office to another building and lived in her own home.

On 26 July 2007, Liberia celebrated its 160th Independence Day. Sirleaf asked a young Liberian activist, Kimmie Weeks, to speak. Weeks called for the government to focus on education and health care. A few days later, President Sirleaf made education free and required for all elementary school children.

In October 2010, Sirleaf signed a Freedom of Information bill into law. This was the first law of its kind in West Africa. She received an award for this, becoming the first sitting head of state to get the Friend of the Media in Africa Award.

Reducing National Debt

When she became president, Sirleaf promised to reduce Liberia's large national debt. In 2006, the debt was about $4.9 billion. The United States was the first country to help, forgiving $391 million of Liberia's debt in 2007. Later, the G-8 countries helped pay off 60% of Liberia's debt to the International Monetary Fund. They praised Sirleaf's economic policies.

In April 2009, Liberia successfully reduced another $1.2 billion in foreign debt. They bought back the debt at a very low price with help from other countries. In June 2010, Liberia qualified for relief from all its remaining external debt. This meant a huge amount of debt was cancelled. Sirleaf promised to prevent future debt by limiting how much the country borrows each year.

Truth and Reconciliation Commission

President Sirleaf addressing the 2008 General Conference of the United Methodist Church in Fort Worth, Texas

In 2006, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) started its work. Its goal was to help bring peace and unity to Liberia by looking into more than 20 years of civil conflict.

In its final report in June 2009, the TRC listed Sirleaf among 50 people who should be banned from holding public office for 30 years. This was because she had supported former President Taylor in the early years of the civil war.

On 26 July 2009, Sirleaf apologized to Liberia for supporting Charles Taylor. She said that once she understood Taylor's true intentions, she became his strong opponent. In January 2011, the Supreme Court ruled that the TRC's recommendation to ban people from office was unconstitutional. This meant the government could not put the bans into effect.

Foreign Policy

Sirleaf with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Washington, D.C., 2013

As president, Sirleaf's first foreign trip was to Ivory Coast. She met with the Ivorian President to improve relations between the two countries. During a crisis in Ivory Coast in 2010-2011, Sirleaf supported the winner of the election but did not want a military solution.

Sirleaf also built strong relationships with the United States. She offered to let the U.S. military base its new Africa Command in Liberia. The command was eventually based in Germany. In March 2006, Sirleaf spoke to the United States Congress, asking for American support to help Liberia become a "brilliant beacon" of liberty.

She also strengthened ties with China. China helped Liberia by building new transmitters for the national broadcasting system and a new campus for the University of Liberia.

Sirleaf is part of the Council of Women World Leaders. This group brings together women presidents and prime ministers to work on important issues for women and development.

During the 2011 Libyan civil war, Sirleaf called for the Libyan leader to stop the violence. However, she criticized the international military intervention, saying that "violence does not help." Her government later ended diplomatic ties with Libya.

In February 2015, President Sirleaf visited U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House. They discussed how to end the recent Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa. They also talked about rebuilding healthcare and other challenges after the outbreak.

Administration and Cabinet

After winning the 2005 election, Sirleaf promised to unite the country by including opposition leaders in her government. She also appointed several women to important positions, including ministers of Finance, Law, Commerce, and Gender. Sirleaf said she wanted an all-female cabinet but could not find enough qualified women for every role.

Sirleaf promised to have "zero tolerance" for corruption in the government. However, some critics said corruption was still a problem. For example, one minister was fired over allegations of stealing money. Sirleaf admitted that corruption remained. She pointed to the creation of the Liberian Anti-Corruption Commission as a step to fight it.

On 3 November 2010, Sirleaf dismissed her entire cabinet. She said this was to give her administration a "clean slate" for her final year in office. By early December 2010, she had chosen a new cabinet, replacing seven of her nineteen ministers.

First Cabinet

Second Cabinet

Judicial Appointments

When Sirleaf became president, all five judges on the Supreme Court stepped down. Sirleaf then chose new judges for all the seats. She nominated Johnnie Lewis to be the Chief Justice. Lewis and three other nominees were approved in March 2006. Another nominee, Kabineh Ja'neh, was approved in May.

After one judge passed away, Sirleaf nominated Christiana Tah. The Senate rejected her. Sirleaf then nominated Jamesetta Howard Wolokollie, who was approved. Another judge retired in 2011. Sirleaf nominated Phillip A. Z. Banks, who was approved in August 2011.

International Recognition

Forbes magazine named Sirleaf one of the most powerful women in the world in 2006. In 2010, Newsweek listed her as one of the ten best leaders globally. Time magazine also included her among the top ten female leaders. The Economist called her "arguably the best president the country has ever had." In 2010, Sirleaf published her book, This Child Will Be Great: Memoir of a Remarkable Life by Africa's First Woman President.

Life After Politics

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf with Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados, in 2022

In 2018, Sirleaf started the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development. This center aims to help women across Africa reach their full potential. In 2019, the Director-General of the World Health Organization appointed Sirleaf as a Goodwill Ambassador for the health workforce. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, she stepped down from this role to help lead a panel on pandemic preparedness. She also joined the Development Advisory Council of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf also holds other positions:

• Africa Europe Foundation (AEF), Member of the High-Level Group of Personalities on Africa-Europe Relations (since 2020)
• Brenthurst Foundation, Member of the Advisory Board
• Mastercard Foundation, Member of the Board of Directors (since 2020)

Personal Life

In 1956, Ellen Johnson married James Sirleaf. They had four sons before they divorced. She grew up as a Presbyterian but later joined her husband's Methodist faith. She has ten grandchildren through her sons.

While in college in the United States, Sirleaf became a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. She is also an honorary member of the Links, Incorporated. She is the aunt of American actress/comedian Retta.

Several of her children worked in the Liberian government. Her son Robert Sirleaf led the National Oil Company of Liberia. Charles Sirleaf held a senior position at the Central Bank of Liberia. Her stepson Fombah Sirleaf led the Liberian National Security Agency.

In December 2021, James Sirleaf, one of her sons, passed away in Liberia.

Honors and Awards

A statue of Sirleaf unveiled in Owerri's Ikemba Ojukwu Square (Imo state, Nigeria) in 2017

• 1988 Roosevelt Institute Freedom of Speech Award
• Ralph Bunche International Leadership Award
• Chief of Order of the Golden Heart of Kenya (highest award in Kenya)
• Grand Commander Star of Africa Redemption of Liberia
• 1996 Commander of the Order of Mono
• 2006 Common Ground Award recipient, Search for Common Ground
• 2006 Laureate of the Africa Prize for Leadership for the Sustainable End of Hunger, The Hunger Project
• 2006 Distinguished Fellow, Claus M. Halle Institute for Global Learning, Emory University
• 2006 Honorary Doctor of Laws from Marquette University
• 2006 David Rockefeller Bridging Leadership Award from Synergos
• 2007 Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States, given by U.S. President George W. Bush
• 2008 Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement
• 2008 Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Indiana University, Dartmouth College; and Brown University.
• 2009 EITI Award for Liberia's progress in implementing EITI standards
• 2009 Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the University of Tampa
• 2010 Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Yale University and Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
• 2010 Friend of the Media in Africa Award from The African Editor's Union
• 2011 Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Harvard University
• 2011 African Gender Award
• 2011 Nobel Peace Prize
• 2012 Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development
• In 2014, Forbes listed her as the 70th most powerful woman in the world.
• In 2017, she received a traditional title in Nigeria, becoming the Ada di Ohanma of Igboland.
• 2017 - Recognized as one of the BBC's 100 Women of 2017.
• 2018 Won the 2017 Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership

National Honors

•  Liberia:
  • Grand Master and Grand Cordon of the Order of the Pioneers of Liberia
  • Grand Master and Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of Africa

Foreign Honors

•  France:
  • Grand Cross of the National Order of the Legion of Honour
•  Ivory Coast:
  • Grand Cross of the National Order of the Ivory Coast (7 September 2017)
•  Kenya:
  • Chief of Order of the Golden Heart of Kenya
•  Togo:
  • Commander of the Order of Mono (1996)
•  United States:
  • Presidential Medal of Freedom (2007)

Other Honors

In 2011, Sirleaf shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Leymah Gbowee of Liberia and Tawakkol Karman of Yemen. They were honored for their peaceful fight for women's safety and their right to fully participate in peace-building.

Sirleaf received the Indira Gandhi Prize from Indian President Pranab Mukherjee on 12 September 2013. In 2016, Forbes magazine listed her as the 83rd-most powerful woman in the world.

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