Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

Global leader, Nobel laureate
The former President of Liberia, Nobel laureate H.E. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf promotes freedom, peace, justice, women’s empowerment and democratic rule.

Why you should listen

As Africa's first democratically elected female president, H.E. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf led Liberia's recovery following a decade-long civil war, and helped stem the nation's Ebola crisis of 2014-2015. Recognized as a global leader for women's rights, President Sirleaf was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2011.

President Sirleaf received the United States's Presidential Medal of Freedom for her unwavering commitment to expanding freedom and improving the lives of Africans. Her many honors include the Grand Croix of the Légion d’Honneur (France's highest public distinction) and being named one of Forbes's "100 Most Powerful Women in the World."

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s TED talk