- Oct 25, 2005
- 1,210
- 23
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10 Questions For Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf
Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, 67, waited tables to put herself through Harvard, then went on to work as an economist at the World Bank. Now, after a fiercely fought election in her native Liberia, she is set to be sworn in as Africa's first elected female head of state. Johnson-Sirleaf spoke to Claire Soares in Monrovia last week about leadership, healing the country, and childhood dreams.
you're the first woman elected to head an african country. What does that mean to you? It means that I have a great responsibility to meet the expectations of Liberian and African women. I'm humbled by the challenge. I will be under the microscope all the time: whatever I do and say, how well I am able to move the Liberian development agenda, how I am able to promote peace and reconciliation. I'll have a lot of detractors who would want to see me fail, not only because of my long years of political activism in Liberia, but because they aren't really convinced that women can be leaders.
how will you prove them wrong? I want to be very informed. I'm glad that my own experience working in the private sector and as the head of the African bureau of the United Nations Development Programme provided me with the opportunity to have a dialogue with the African leadership. In a way, they have already welcomed me, so my entrée should not be particularly difficult.
is there something extra you bring to the job as a woman? Sensitivity to human needs. Maybe that comes from being a mother and interacting with other women, many of whom carry the biggest burden in times of both war and peace.
gender aside, how will the Johnson-Sirleaf presidency be different? I'm going to have a rigorous reform agenda in which we will introduce the structural change our country has lacked for so long. The renewal of Liberia means a new political order, a new social order, a new economic order. It involves far-reaching reforms — constitutional reform, land reform, judicial reform, civil-service reform, devolution of power.
your rival for the presidency, former soccer star George Weah, alleges electoral fraud. The victory, which is not really mine but the people's, has been marred by these allegations, but I do not think they can be substantiated.
How will you pacify his angry young supporters? I will sit down with them and assure them that it is in all of our interests to move forward. I am young at heart and I think we can convince them to come on board.
Liberia is deeply divided after 14 years of civil war. Who will you appoint to your government to heal the wounds? We will look at every political party, ethnic group, religion and find people that meet our requirements of competence and honesty.
What has been your toughest moment? I was in prison after an attempted coup in 1985 with about 12 other so-called rebels, all of whom were killed. At that point I felt a bit of fear, I must admit. But I became more determined to continue until I got to the place where I could change things.
what are your weaknesses? I've been disappointed many times in the trust that I've put in people. And I can sometimes be a bit harsh; I guess that's where my "Iron Lady" nickname comes from.
What was your CHILDHOOD dream? That I would wake up black. I was teased because of my [light] complexion. Of course, that was an impossible dream.
