Page 41 - Forbes - Africa (March 2020)

ELLEN JOHNSON SIRLEAF,
LIBERIA

FIRST FEMALE PRESIDENT OF LIBERIA, NOBEL PEACE As her career progressed, so did
LAUREATE her humanitarian work. Since
DAILY MANTRA: "I am strong, I am invisible, I am 1985, she’s been lending her me-
woman." ong by Helen Reddy) lodic voice to the voiceless.
renowned traditional chief's granddaughter from west- Throughout her career, Chaka
Chaka has used her platform to
ern Liberia did not foresee that she would grow up champion the rights of children
to make history in 2005 when she became the first and women across the continent
Ademocratically-elected female leader of an African as well as advocate for social jus-
state. This was the destiny of President Sirleaf, born Ellen Euge- tice.
nia Johnson Sirleaf. A Nobel laureate, Sirleaf is praised for lead- “As a conscious African woman, I
ing Liberia through reconciliation and recovery following the end have a duty of mothering all chil-
of her nation's decade-long civil war, winning international ac-
claim for achieving economic, social, and political change. Dur- dren out there, to hold someone
with my hand and never close a
ing her two terms as president, she focused on rebuilding the coun- door,” says Chaka Chaka.
try and mobilizing over $16 billion in foreign direct investment. YVONNE Through the Princess of Africa
She also attracted more than $5 million in private resources to re- Foundation, which she formed in
build schools, clinics, markets, and to fund scholarships for capaci- CHAKA CHAKA, 2006, she uses her influence to ad-
ty building. She has no plans of retiring. In 2020, Sirleaf will launch SOUTH AFRICA vance funding for health. During
the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and De- her 12 years serving as UNICEF
velopment in Liberia which aims to train women with enhanced AWARD-WINNING MUSICIAN Goodwill Ambassador, she has ad-
qualities for intentional leadership and influence in public service. DAILY MANTRA: “Life is for the vocated for malaria prevention
She will continue to improve the livelihoods of rural villages in Li- living, so live life to the fullest.” and treatment. She is an advocate
beria and their residents through education, sanitation, housing of several other global organiza-
and self-sustenance. She tells us more: Affectionately known as ‘Princess
of Africa’, Yvonne Chaka Chaka is a tions, including the Gavi, the Vac-
What are you most proud of when reflecting on your journey? highly acclaimed and awarded mu- cine Alliance.
Even though she has received two
I'm proud of rural women of Liberia being given a voice. In the de- sician who has performed for many honorary doctorates and a World
parting ceremonies at the end of my tenure, women openly claimed global audiences, including the Queen Economic Forum Crystal award,
their right to participate and provide opinions on social issues, in- of England. Throughout her career, it is in fact, the honor of receiving
cluding men in the audience who acknowledge this right. In a sep- she has shared the stage with musi- the National Order of Ikhamanga
arate incident, a five-year-old boy expressed his desire to be vice cal icons such as Bono, Annie Len- from President Cyril Ramaphosa
president. When I asked, ‘why not president?’, he strongly asserted nox, Beyoncé, Miriam Makeba and that has her most proud.
that ‘president is a woman's job’. I readily agreed with him. Youssou N’dour.

What does it mean to be a powerful woman in 2020?
I can use my influence, perceived as power, to inspire and
motivate women to seek leadership at all levels in society. In 2018, Sahle-Work Zewde
made an enduring mark in histo-
ry when she became Ethiopia’s
first female president and the
only serving female head of state
in Africa. President Zewde is an
accomplished diplomat who was
appointed with a unanimous
vote by the nation’s parliament.
She is a veteran public official
having served as an ambassador
to Senegal, Djibouti, and France
between 1989 and 2006. Before
her presidency, Zewde was elect-
ed head of the United Nations
Integrated Peace-building office
at the African Union.
Zewde has devoted her admin-
istration to advancing unity and SAHLE-WORK
gender equality. Having commit-
ted to being the voice for women, ZEWDE,
she assigned half the posts of ETHIOPIA
cabinet to women. PRESIDENT OF ETHIOPIA

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