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Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

24th president of Liberia

  • Fame76.4
  • Momentum11.2
  • Politicians rank#237
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Source-basedRising
  • Fame76.4
  • Momentum11.2
  • Politicians rank#237
  • Wikipedia22.7K
Born 1938 · age 88
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  • Wikipedia
    111 languages
    Cross-language footprint
  • Age
    88
    Born 1938
  • Known for
    Iron Ladies of Liberia
    2007
Summary
Updated 2026-09-08

She broke the glass ceiling on an entire continent: the first woman elected president in Africa, steering Liberia out of civil war's wreckage with a Harvard degree in one hand and a Nobel Prize in the other.

Biography

About

Born in Monrovia in 1938, Sirleaf studied economics at Harvard before returning to serve in William Tolbert's government as Deputy Minister of Finance in 1973, then Minister of Finance in 1979. When Samuel Doe executed Tolbert in a 1980 coup, she fled to the United States and worked for Citibank. She returned in 1985 to run for senate, was arrested for criticizing the military government, and was sentenced to ten years before her release. She finished second to Charles Taylor in the 1997 presidential election. In 2005 she won the presidency, took office in January 2006, and served two terms th…

Voice

In their own words

Sourced, dated quotes from Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
said
To girls and women everywhere, I issue a simple invitation. My sisters, my daughters, my friends; find your voice.
— January 10 2021 by YourStory.Com retrieved 14 November 2022.
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
said
Once the glass ceiling has been broken, it can never be put back together, however one would try to do that.
— January 10 2021 by YourStory.Com retrieved 14 November 2022.
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
said
I believe that there are certain attributes in a woman that give her some advantages over a man.
— January 10 2021 by YourStory.Com retrieved 14 November 2022. January 10 2021 by YourStory.Com retrieved 14 November 2022.
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
said
Ethnicity should enrich us; it should make us a unique people in our diversity and not be used to divide us.
— 15 Quotes by Nobel Laureate Ellen Johnson Sirleaf that show the importance of enabling women. January 10 2021 by YourStory.Com retrieved 14
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
said
Leadership is never given on a silver platter, one has to earn it.
— 15 Quotes by Nobel Laureate Ellen Johnson Sirleaf that show the importance of enabling women January 10 2021 by YourStory.Com retrieved 14
via Wikiquote · CC BY-SA
By the numbers

Score breakdown

The six component signals behind the Fame score, and their ranks across the leaderboards.

Fame
Rising
76.4
Composite of search demand, mentions, audience & graph footprint.
Score components
Momentum11.2
Historical24.8
Now attention46.1
Source confidence70.0
Completeness70.0
Global rank
—
Country rank
—
Category rank
#237
Receipts

Sources