Africa's Powerhouse Prez

Jerome Delay / AP Photo In a new memoir, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf recounts her remarkable climb to become Africa’s most powerful woman. She talks to Lynn Sherr about how men have failed us—and waiting for Obama’s call.

Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is an unlikely rock star: a 70-year-old, mixed-race economist, she starts every day in her West African office eager to see which city block will next have enough power to turn on the lights. But Sirleaf generates her own infectious energy. As the first female elected head of state in Africa, she has electrified her country—and her continent—with breathtaking leadership since 2006, aiming to lift Liberia into a new era of prosperity and security after 14 years of brutal civil wars that ended in 2003, having killed 250,000 people and demolished both infrastructure and optimism.

"We will make a difference, I think, in the young people. So that they will come with a different culture, value. And that they will lead truly, the leadership that we want to see."

The challenge has been staggering. As she points out in her new memoir, This Child Will Be Great (HarperCollins), “No one really expected me to become president. … I was a woman in a society that insisted on male leadership. … I was too light-skinned, too educated, … too mature to win...”

This Child Will Be Great. By Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. In a gripping narrative, she also writes about her heritage: three indigenous grandparents and one German grandfather; a checkered childhood that led her to break out of her traditional Liberian upbringing and earn a degree at Harvard; a career in public service; time spent in and out of government; and exile as political tyranny wiped out her homeland. After peace finally returned, she ran for office, and she writes that the women of Liberia urged her on: “‘Men have failed us,’ people said over and over again. ‘Men are too violent, too prone to make war. Women are less corrupt, less likely to be focused on getting fancy cars and fancy homes for themselves.’”

Her 2005 campaign thus inspired the voters—especially the women—and as she confirmed to me recently, her election has brought new hope to the people she serves. “That’s the one thing I can say is the best result of my presidency,” she said. “Hope to Liberian women, hope to Liberian children. And hope to Liberians generally.”

She has also started to rebuild. When I met with her in Monrovia for a series of reports on PBS’ Worldfocus, the city was bustling and the bullet holes were being patched up. And while the elevator to her office was the only one I encountered during two weeks in Liberia, it rode very smoothly.

What has the position of women in Liberia been up to now?

I must say, traditionally, Liberian women have been strong. In our whole history, we have had that but have not had equality and equal opportunity. Like many other African countries, the girls get married off too young. Most times, they have to help their mothers in the farms, their mothers who are not schooled and so have not been able to reach their potential. We have had quite dominant, eminent women that have held high positions in our society. But the majority of those, particularly from the rural areas, have been neglected in terms of schooling.

Why?

It’s because, when there’s not enough income in the family, the boys are seen as the ones who will take care of the family. So the boys get the opportunity to go to school while the girls stay with their mothers and eventually they become young brides. Much, much too early. But that’s changing.

Do you think you can change attitudes?

Tough one, in the Liberian context, because our value system has been so longstanding, and has been transmuted over the years with the introduction of violence and lawlessness and dishonesty. But we will make a difference. We will make a difference, I think, in the young people. So that they will come with a different culture, value. And that they will lead truly, the leadership that we want to see. Maybe a decade from now they will be quite different because the values will have changed. That’s why I want to concentrate on the young children.

And when you talk about the young children, is it just the young girls?

No. Here, we are talking about our youth. Generally. That should be our target population for changing their attitudes and their values. And preparing them for leadership that’s going to be much better than the leadership of today.