Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is the 24th President of the Republic of Liberia, and the first elected female Head of State in Africa. A life-long advocate for the rights of women, President Sirleaf has demonstrated her passionate commitment to work, integrity and good governance throughout her career.

Empowering Liberian women in all aspects of their lives has always been one of President Sirleaf’s priorities. During her leadership she has increased the presence of women  in the government and the security sectors. Additionally she built market halls, promoted micro-finance projects for women and introduced property laws to ensure women could get what was legally theirs.

After decades of fighting for freedom, justice and equality in Liberia, in 2011 President Sirleaf shared the prestigious Nobel Prize for Peace with two other women – fellow Liberian Leymah Gbowee, and Tawakkul Karman of Yemen. They were recognized by the Norwegian Nobel Committee for their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights to full participation in peacebuilding work.

In September 2013, before a crowd of more than 60,000 fans attending the 2013 Global Citizen Festival at Central Park’s Great Lawn, President Ellen Sirleaf received the Global Citizen Movement Award for Advancing Equality for Girls and Women.

When accepting the Award, the President said I’m extremely proud of the role that women have played in the change and development of Liberia. Liberian mothers, sisters and daughters are leaders in government, business, the media, and advocacy organizations. We believe our women have been inspired, and have inspired others in the region and around the world. They’ve done so to stand up for peace, to stand up for justice, and to stand up for equality.”

President Sirleaf called on governments to invest in girls’ education, provide access to water and sanitation, and affordable power: We must empower the next generation to continue to carry on this fight against poverty”.

If you agree with President Sirleaf, join our global efforts to tackle the issues facing women and girls.

Sign the petition at the top-right of this screen to show your support for gender equality and ensure that world leaders see it as a priority now and into the future.