Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center

Are you attending the #AUSummit2026? Tomorrow at 15:00–16:30 EAT, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf & Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah will sit down together for a conversation on women, power & leadership in Africa. For those in Addis Ababa, don't miss it!

Fun fact: Did you know they share the same birthday?

#Throwback - 12 Feb 2018.
Our founder, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, became the 1st woman to receive the Mo Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership.

Her legacy guides our work each day as we push for #GapZero, closing the gender gap in public leadership across Africa @mo.ibrahim.foundation

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf On Leading With Values And The Power Of Women Former President of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's mission is to build a generation of African women leaders who will lead with strength, empathy and integrity.

Africa’s first elected female head of state, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf,
continues to advocate for #genderequity & values-based #leadership through the @ejscenter.bsky.social – which supports African women seeking public office – @forbes.com #womenempowerment #equality #womeninleadership #womeninpolitics

Today, we’re spotlighting some of the powerful words of our Founder, Former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf; words that continue to inspire leadership, courage, and change across Africa and beyond.

Which of these quotes speaks to you the most?
Comment the number (1–4) and tell us why.

This week, we continue to celebrate the legacy of our Founder, Ma Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, as we commemorate 20 years since her inauguration as Africa’s first democratically elected woman President.

Her journey to the presidency was decades in the making.

Image credits: AP, Nic Bothma c/o EPA, NYT

On this day, 20yrs ago, Africa made history with the inauguration of Ma Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as the continent’s first democratically elected woman President.

Her leadership reshaped what was possible for women across Africa. 20yrs later, the legacy lives on.

Credits: AP, TRTWorld, TIME

Congratulations to Amujae Leader Sahar Albazar on her election to the Egyptian House of Representatives (2025–2030)!
The EJS Center celebrates her continued leadership, dedication to public service, and commitment to advancing women’s voices in public life.

News on the EJS Center Blog! 🇨🇲
Why are women still missing from key decision-making spaces in Cameroon? Our latest piece breaks down the systemic barriers limiting women’s public leadership in Cameroon and highlights the leaders pushing for change.

Read more: ejscenter.org/the-truth-ab...

This #WorldAIDSDay, we remember that the fight against HIV/AIDS is a fight for gender equality. Women and girls still face disproportionate risks and barriers to care. Our Founder has been a long time champion of resilient health systems, reminding us that public leadership saves lives.

During #16Days, the EJS Center stands with the global movement to end violence against women & girls. Digital attacks threaten women’s leadership. Ratify AU-CEVAWG so women can participate safely, visibly, and without fear. 🟠 #EndVAW #WomenLead

What are the odds?
For Africa’s only 2 democratically elected female presidents to share the same birthday!

Former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah of Namibia were both born on October 29.

We continue to wish them a very happy birthday!
📷New Era Namibia

Happy Birthday, Secretary @hillaryclinton.bsky.social !  Today, we celebrate an extraordinary leader whose lifelong commitment to advancing women’s rights and leadership continues to inspire us all.

With gratitude for your steadfast support to the EJS Center and our Amujae Leaders.

We honor the life and legacy of Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, Former First Lady of Ghana.
Our thoughts are with our Amujae Leader, Hon. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, and the entire family during this time of loss.

We extend heartfelt congratulations to Rt. Hon. Helen Clark on her appointment as Board Chair of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

In 2020, she & Madam Sirleaf, co-chaired the Independent Panel for Pandemic Prevention and Response

We celebrate this new leadership and look forward to continued impact

Japan makes history with the appointment of its first female Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi.

We extend warm congratulations to Prime Minister Takaichi on this groundbreaking achievement, a defining moment for women’s political leadership in Japan and across the world.
📷 courtesy: Associated Press

Last week, Former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf met with 11 exceptional Liberian high school students who recently completed RENOVATE, an immersive youth development and innovation program under the Liberia Support Program (LSP), one of the flagship initiatives of the EJS Center.

#WorldStatisticsDay We are reminded that high-quality, accessible data is not just about numbers.
Data drives decisions. With the right data, we can eliminate gender parity and accelerate #GapZero, a future where women lead at every level of public life. Explore our Data Hub ejscenter.org/data-hub/

Poverty eradication demands more than short-term relief. It requires dismantling systems that keep women from owning/controlling resources that shape their lives.

#InternationalDayfortheEradicationofPoverty We reaffirm our mission to dismantle systems that perpetuate gender inequality

We join the world in celebrating María Corina Machado, 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her unwavering fight for democracy, human rights, and a peaceful transition of power in Venezuela.

Last week, the EJS Center hosted an engaging roundtable with representatives from Liberia’s leading universities to introduce its Oral History Program, an archival initiative dedicated to documenting the leadership and legacy of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

As part of our engagements during #UNGA80, we hosted a special documentary screening and conversation with Amujae Leader Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, MP (Ghana).

This underscored the EJS Center’s commitment to amplifying women’s voices and documenting the journeys of African women in leadership.

At UNGA80, the EJS Center convened a high-profile panel discussion and side-event, focused on closing the gender gap in public leadership across Africa.

You can watch the full session via our YouTube channel here: www.youtube.com/live/yk8Uq2h...

“The objective was to design a building that captured the sense of humility, service to a people, grounded in cultural authenticity and great vision that symbolizes Madam Sirleaf’s work,” @MariamIssoufou, Lead Architect, African Women’s House

ejscenter.org/ellen-johnso...
www.mariamissoufou.com

Statement of Solidarity with @open-society.bsky.social

20yrs of @clintonglobal.bsky.social & 20 years since Ma Ellen Sirleaf became 1st woman elected president in Liberia and in Africa.

In this video, she and our COO, Jenelle Sirleaf, share how that journey gave birth to the EJS Center, and our boldest commitment yet: the African Women’s House

For 20 years, the Clinton Global Initiative has convened pioneers, changemakers, and global citizens.

At #CGI2025, we were honored to announce a landmark Commitment to Action: the creation of the African Women’s House, the first Presidential Center built by a woman, for women.

Let women lead. From peacekeeping to hunger, health to climate, the world will benefit | Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Sahle-Work Zewde As former African presidents, we know the world has no need of more speeches. In a time of crisis, the UN must encourage strong female leadership

In a compelling op-ed for The Guardian, former African presidents Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Sahle-Work Zewde emphasize the urgent need for strong female leadership in addressing today's global crises.
Read the full article: www.theguardian.com/global-devel...