Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
Who was Ellen Johnson Sirleaf?
Nobel laureate: Nobel Prize in Peace (2011)
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Ellen Eugenia Johnson Sirleaf was born on October 29, 1938, in Monrovia, Liberia, to a Gola father and a Kru-German mother. She started her education at the College of West Africa before continuing her studies in the United States. Her education included Madison Business College, the University of Colorado Boulder, and Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, where she trained as an economist. This strong educational background helped her in her career in public service and international finance.
Returning to Liberia in the 1970s, Sirleaf joined the government under President William Tolbert, working as Deputy Minister of Finance from 1973 to 1974 and later as Minister of Finance from 1979 to 1980. Her service was cut short when Samuel Doe seized power in a military coup in 1980, executing Tolbert and forcing many government officials to flee. Sirleaf moved to the United States, working for major financial institutions like Citibank and Equator Bank and also taking roles with the World Bank in the Caribbean and Latin America.
Despite the dangers, Sirleaf went back to Liberia in 1985 to engage in politics, running for a senatorial seat in Montserrado County. Her strong criticism of Doe's military government led to her arrest and a ten-year prison sentence, but she was ultimately released. She stayed politically active during Liberia's turbulent times, including the civil wars of the 1990s. In the 1997 presidential election, she finished second to Charles Taylor, a prominent warlord during the conflict.
Sirleaf's determination paid off in 2005 when she won the presidential election, taking office on January 16, 2006, as Liberia's 24th president. Her win made her the first elected female head of state in Africa. She was re-elected in 2011 and served until 2018. During her presidency, she worked on post-war reconstruction, economic development, and women's rights. Her efforts in promoting peace and including women in peacekeeping earned her the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011, which she shared with Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkol Karman. In 2016, she broke new ground by becoming the first woman elected as Chair of the Economic Community of West African States.
Before Fame
Sirleaf's rise to prominence started with her outstanding educational achievements at a time when not many African women had access to higher education, especially in the United States. Her early career in the Liberian government under the Tolbert administration showed her to be a capable economist and administrator. The political upheaval of the 1980 coup forced her into exile, but this time away gave her valuable international experience in banking and development.
Liberia's post-colonial struggles and civil conflicts influenced her political thinking. Her decision to return and challenge authoritarian rule, even at the risk of imprisonment, showed the courage that would later define her leadership. Her experiences during Liberia's devastating civil wars, which claimed over 250,000 lives, drove her commitment to building peace and advocating for women's political participation.
Key Achievements
- First elected female head of state in Africa, serving as Liberia's president from 2006-2018
- Nobel Peace Prize winner in 2011 for efforts to promote peace and women's participation in peacekeeping
- Successfully led Liberia's post-civil war reconstruction and democratic transition
- First woman elected as Chair of the Economic Community of West African States in 2016
- Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2007 and numerous other international honors
Did You Know?
- 01.She was sentenced to ten years in prison in 1985 for criticizing Samuel Doe's military government but was released early
- 02.She worked for Citibank and Equator Bank during her exile in the United States in the 1980s
- 03.She received honorary doctorates from both Harvard University and Yale University
- 04.She was featured in BBC's 100 Women list in 2017 at age 79
- 05.She was the first woman to chair the Economic Community of West African States since its creation
Awards & Honors
| Award | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Nobel Prize in Peace | 2011 | for their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women's rights to full participation in peace-building work |
| honorary doctor of Yale University | 2008 | — |
| Presidential Medal of Freedom | 2007 | — |
| honorary doctor of Harvard University | 2011 | — |
| Indira Gandhi Peace Prize | 2012 | — |
| Four Freedoms Award – Freedom of Speech | 1988 | — |
| Freedom Award | 2006 | — |
| Global Economy Prize | 2014 | — |
| BBC 100 Women | 2017 | — |
| Order of African Redemption | — | — |
| Order of the Pioneers of Liberia | — | — |
| Order of the Star of Africa | — | — |
| Sovereign Military Order of Malta | — | — |
| Order of Mono | 1996 | — |
| Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour | 2012 | — |
| Mo Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership | 2018 | — |
| Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the White Rose of Finland | 2009 | — |
| Grand Cross of the National Order of Benin | 2009 | — |
| Order of the Welwitschia | 2018 | — |
| honorary doctorate | 2006 | — |
| honorary doctorate | 2009 | — |
| honorary doctor of Yale University | 2010 | — |
| honorary doctor of Rutgers University | 2010 | — |
| honorary doctorate | 2008 | — |
| honorary doctorate from Brown University | 2008 | — |
| honorary degree from Spelman College | 2007 | — |