Ellen Johnson Sirleaf - Research Paper Example

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Background of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is the current president of Liberia and was born in Monrovia, Liberiaon 29th October 1938. She has defied all odds to become the first female president in an African country. She is also referred to as an Iron Lady, a common term used to describe female presidents or heads of governments around the world. The term is usually used to refer to a strong willed woman (Sirleaf 2009). From 1948 to 1955 she studied accounts and economics at the College of West Africa in Monrovia and later went to the United States to continue with her studies in the 1960s. In 1961 at an age of 17, she was married to James Sirleaf. Currently she is a mother of four sons and she has six grandchildren. In 1964, she did her B.B.A. in Accounting at the Madison Business College in Madison. She did her diploma in economics at the University of Colorado, Boulder in 1970. Sirleaf obtained her masters degree in public administration from the Harvard University in 1971 (Sirleaf 2009). In the early 1970s, Sirleaf returned to Liberia and served as Assistant Minister of Finance in the President William Tolbert government for the period 1972 to 1973. William’s government is accredited for recognizing women’s role in administration and William is said to be one of the greatest African liberators. She later quit the position due to disagreements over public spending. In 1979, she served as the Minister of Finance of the Liberia government. After the illegal deposition and execution of William, Sirleaf had a difficult relationship with the subsequent successors to avoid detention. For the most part of the 1980s, Sirleaf spent her life in Kenya and United States. During those years she worked as an executive for the international banking community. Sirleaf and a prominent author called Samuel K. Doc supported the 1989-90 coup organized by Charles Taylor. Sirleaf and Liberians including the author later became opponents of Charles Taylor autocratic rule (Sirleaf 2009). In 1997, she ran for presidency but she unsuccessfully lost the seat to Charles Taylor. After losing the seat, she fled the country for fear of being charged with treason by Charles Taylor. Sirleaf returned to Liberia in the year 2003 after Taylor was forced by the President George W. Bush’s administration to exile to Nigeria. In 2005, she ran for presidency using the Unity Party ticket. Among her party manifestos include economic development, put an end to corruption and civil war. Her bid for presidency was met with a lot of criticism for her earlier association with Taylor and Doe but in the November 2005 run-off election she successfully won the election and in January 16, 2006 she was sworn in as the 24th president of Liberia (Sirleaf 2009). Leadership Qualities In her leadership style proposed from the onset of her own presidential campaigns, President Sirleaf placed a rare emphasis on most pressing issues facing the countries. Among these issues were, national debt, peace and security and foreign policy were top on her transformation agenda. Her economics experience which she amassed during her service in the public sector became in handy when she ascended to the national platform where she needed to revive an economically challenged country. Many financial institutions where she served before her political journey began are witnesses to her leadership capabilities. In her initial days in the presidential office, Sirleaf the leader was keen on making her presidential campaign promises true by tackling the most serious national issues. Amid huge national debts as well as a poorly performing economy at her ascendancy to the presidency, she managed to obtain international assistance in form of financial aid towards the clearance of the same. For instance, the USA, Germany, the IMF, the UK and International Development Association extended debt discounting for Liberia at a rate of 97 per cent. Apparently, this was the largest discounted rate for debts that a developing country had ever obtained. Other leadership strength points possessed by the Liberian President include the building of democratic institutions that previously had been weakened by continued conflict and public disrespect. State institutions such as the judiciary were key areas of reforms that the democracy needed to thrive from the state it had remained for such a long time. President Sirleaf is a proponent of leadership entrenched in democratic practices and values as evidenced from her institution reform agenda in Liberia. Public leadership was not enough for the President to exercise her duties; she needed authority and legitimacy. Speaking and exercising power backed by the truth is a rare combination of a leader, usually well nurtured as a professional practice in the accounting profession she specialized in. Moral leadership is a rare element in public leadership which she is well versed in and presents her as a strong leader in all spheres of her responsibilities (Sucher, 2010). The President has been outstanding in the ensuring of political goodwill and she believes in political might in the building of the country. She almost immediately thumped authority in elimination of poor political leadership that lacked in the country for a long time. Her onus task of bringing transformations regarding accountability and transparency was going to be tested by the level of democratic leadership she was to build. Soon, Liberia was on the recovery path by the fact that the President was facilitating a corruption free leadership. Intolerance to corrupt leadership and management of public institutions was fast becoming a policy that the Liberian citizenry liked. Gender equity was a forgotten value in the Liberian political and civil scenes before President Sirleaf rose to power. No sooner had she taken responsibility of the country’s leadership than it dramatically became a reality in the offing. In her attempt to ensure that women empowerment is a top policy in her leadership, President Sirleaf has made several educational policy changes targeting girls. Primary level enrolment for girls is at forty seven per cent, junior high school level at forty per cent and senior high school level at forty one per cent. Arrangements for funding and policy framework formulation to make these figures improve are a key area that Sirleaf’s government is addressing (Addy, 2010) On the other hand, by the time President Sirleaf rose to power, Liberia was still walking in the shadows of quarter of a century long civil war occasioned by a myriad of factors ranging from negative ethnicity to economic. Challenges Sirleaf is not considered an iron lady for nothing. Her ability to lead and turn things around for a country that has been ravaged by mismanagement is no mean achievement. However, this does not imply that it has been a smooth ride for her. She has had to come to terms with the challenges that come with being a female leader in a largely patriarchal society. In her country, Liberia, women are normally given the responsibility of taking care on not only themselves, but their families and other members of the community as well (Bush, 2006). This means that they have multiple roles all of which demand equal and undivided attention. The woman has to take care of issues at home, in the community and at work, and is expected to remain as strong as ever. Living this kind of life is hard enough for the common woman, but when it comes to leadership, the situation becomes even harder. In Africa, particularly in Liberia, women are normally not given the same chances at leadership as compared to their male counterparts. When Sirleaf came into office, one of the challenges she faced was changing the mindset of many that men are the only ones who can make great leaders (Harrison and Dye, 2007). Although she has to a great extent been able to establish herself as a great leader, these stereotypes are deeply entrenched in society. This means that despite her achievements, some people in Liberia will never accept her as the great leader that she is. President Sirleaf has faced a lot of challenges regarding decision making. Since she took over the presidency, the country had been used to dictatorship, something that had almost destroyed the country. Johnson Sirleaf was faced with the challenge of making decisions which would change her country’s image in the eyes of the world. However, due to pessimism and maybe lack of trust, she found it hard to garner the support of other administrators (Harrison and Dye, 2007). This did not deter her though; she went ahead and made many important decisions, living up to her billing as an African iron lady. She has now managed to establish herself as an authoritative figure, and although some of the decision making challenges remain, people have seen what she can do and there is more cooperation from other administrators. Being in a highly patriarchal society did not help matter for Johnson Sirleaf, especially as she tried to win the trust of people who have never experienced female leadership at such a high level. She had to contend with competition from seasoned male politicians who would have done anything to gain power. However, Johnson did not stoop so low as to use unconventional means to gain power; she did it through the old fashioned hard work (Miller, Vandome and McBrewster, 2009). This did pay off, because the people of Liberia realized that what they needed was new and fresh kind of leadership that would steer them towards prosperity and not a never-ending civil strife. Once she got to power, Sirleaf was faced with the challenge is establishing herself as a president who was different from what Liberians had been used to during the previous regimes. Before 2005, Liberia had been under a dictatorial president, something that had created a void in leadership. When she became president, Johnson Sirleaf faced the challenge of filling this void (Harrison and Dye, 2007). The country’s dictatorship had given rise to corrupt governance and civil strife. There had been no one to counter what was going on in the government, and the country was heading into self-destruction. It was Sirleaf’s job to offer quality leadership and divert her country into a safer path, politically, economically and socially. She has recently dissolved her entire cabinet in a bid to bring higher levels of accountability in top leadership. Her move was seen as a way of getting rid of the inbred tradition of corruption that has plagued the country for years. Though wiping out deep-rooted corruption is an uphill task, Johnson Sirleaf has shown that she is committed to ensure that there is accountability in her administration (Bush, 2006). Before the post conflict elections in 2005, Liberia had for a long time been under imperial presidency. Sirleaf’s efforts in dismantling this system has often been met with pessimism and sometimes ridicule from political quarters. This is due to the existing political stereotypes in the country which make it hard to bring about any changes to what people have been used to all their lives. Perhaps it is due to the fact that the country has never had a female leader that the many players in the politics of the country cannot shake off the old style of administration (Harrison and Dye, 2007). It is like they expect Sirleaf to have inherited some of Charles Taylor’s personality traits. When she does not portray the same leadership characteristics as her predecessors, many people see her as being unfit for leadership. The president has faced countless challenges while trying to dismantle the old systems that almost brought total disaster to Liberia (Miller, Vandome and McBrewster, 2009). Though President Sirleaf has been faced by countless challenges in her bid to turn around her country, there is no doubt that she has a passionate commitment to continue with her work (Bush, 2006). Her personal modesty and a clear vision for her country has made most people in Liberia appreciate her and many of them even consider her to be the greatest leader that they have ever had. Since her ascent to power, Liberia has had no episodes of civil unrest, let alone war that had been common before (Harrison and Dye, 2007). She has almost single handedly been able to fix the image of her country and now many other countries are using Liberia as a model. The challenges may be many, but Sirleaf has put all her energy on the opportunities that her presidency has presented to her to make her country better. 2006 Acceptance Speech by the President of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf In her acceptance speech delivered on January 16, 2006, there is a lot to learn from the Iron Lady of Africa nation. At the start of the speech, she recognizes the supremacy of God over mankind and the nation of Liberia. She says, “Let us first praise Almighty God, the Arbiter of all affairs of humankind whose omnipotent Hand guides and steers our nation” (allAfrica.com 2006). This depicts the deep religious affiliations of the president and the people of Liberia. She recognizes God as the one who will guide and steer the nation in the right direction. In her speech, Sirleaf recognizes the efforts of the people of Liberia to vote for change after nearly two decades of humiliation, poverty and autocratic rule. “We applaud the resilience of our people who, weighed down and dehumanized by poverty and rendered immobile by the shackles of fourteen years of civil war…” (allAfrica.com 2006). The statement shows the kind of life the people of Liberia encountered in nearly two decades. Despite the losses in the past, the Liberia people have voted twice in their quest for change. Sirleaf appreciates their effort for being resilient and their enormous support for the incoming government. She pledges to create a government that will take of their needs and concerns and the development of the nation. This is a show of compassion for people who have gone through difficulties. She understands the needs of the people and knows exactly what should be done to the Liberia people. Throughout the speech she emphasizes on the role the Liberian people have played in transforming the nation. According to her, the people of Liberia are very important. Democracy lacked in the past years before her election and Sirleaf emphasizes on the need to have a clean government free of corruption, a transparent government and full participatory democracy for the citizens. Democracy is a crucial element in most governments currently. Sirleaf sees the need for the people to participate fully in the government’s activities. She knows full participation of the people will reduce corruption and create a transparent government. This is well elaborated when she tells the people to work for their families and country and the country to work for them in return. She recognizes the presence of the international community including her neighbors. They have played a big role in transforming the nation. She understands that the international community is very important. At one they have given her and her people refuge and also assisted them in transforming the nation. Despite the nation having a poor economy, she says that the nation is wealthy and has a lot of resources for endowment. “…we start on the premise that we are a wealthy people. Our nation is blessed with an endowment, rich in natural and human resources. Yet, our economy has collapsed due to several civil conflicts and economic mismanagement by successive governments…” (allAfrica.com 2006). The phrase indicates a person who is optimistic and has a strong for her people. She emphasizes on the need for economic renewal through the country’s resources and the urgency of attracting international investors. From the phrase, it is evident that the country had suffered economically during the past years of tyranny. Her commitment to good governance and fighting corruption is a show of her willingness to transform the nation. In ending her speech the statement “In Union Strong, Success is Sure! We cannot - fail. We must not - fail. We will not - fail” shows the strong will of an Iron Lady. Speech to African Liberian Women: Iron Ladies of Liberia President Sirleaf addressing the African women and particularly the Liberian women in her speech starts by stating that the women endured civil wars that the continent and country faced in the atrocious years of the past. She addressed the entire globe’s women population as well who relate with the atrocities that women faced in Liberia under the harsh war periods. It is clearly brought out in the speech that the women bore very painful experiences yet the perpetrators of the atrocities were their own people. “…Raped at will…” of the perpetrators strongly captures the punitive environment that the Liberian women have survived in. This phrase shows that the women were subjected to male brutality and they did that every time they wanted to torture them while they were helpless. Domestic slavery was also a form of torture that women faced but never brought out against the perpetrators like the President does. She links the fact that the women labored throughout the region to facilitate peace and stability to the unmatched brutality they faced and resolves that a time had come to repay them for their endurance. In the video clip by Daniel (2007), she manages to capture the audience in feminist ideologists as well since she does not regard or attack the perpetrators as men. Even if the President does not directly name a certain gender for the violence endured by women, her tone before the audience which included men is a rhetoric device that she articulates well. She articulates her wording with the skill that maintains emotion and captures authority of justice in the action she was about to take. Talking to the whole of the African continent’s womenfolk coupled with the entire world women population attracts a special attention regarding the deteriorated state of the Liberian women place in the leadership of the country. By introducing the action she was going to take in reforming the position occupied by the Liberian woman in the society by the emotional words, everyone would forgive her for positive discrimination favoring the Liberian women. She goes on to state that the future of the country belongs to them. She stamps authority and restates that women had taken charge of the future and that it belonged to them. Throughout the speech, she has a special attention from the women audience who applause for almost every statement she makes. She captures the podium to show to the world that women have suffered enough and that it was about time that they got rewarded. She states that her administration would endeavor to offer to the Liberian woman prominence that she deserves even if the society has trampled on her for a long time. In her words, it is clear that that the Liberian woman was capable of handling all the affairs of the country, contrary to the previous regimes characterized by violence. References Addy, A. M. (2010) “President of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.” PSI. Retrieved from: http://www.psi.org/impact-magazine/2010/06/president-ellen-johnson-sirleaf-liberia allAfrica.com. (2006). Liberia: Text of inaugural address by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia. allAfrica.com, pp.1-3. Bush, L. (2006). Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Time Magazine. Retrieved 26 Nov. from: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1187159,00.html Daniel, J. (2007, October 8). Iron Ladies of Liberia: A Speech by Ellen Johnson. [Video File]. Retrieved from www.whydemocracy.net Harrison, B.C and Dye, T.R (2007). Power and Society: An Introduction to the Social Sciences. London: Cengage Learning. Miller, F.P., Vandome, A.F and McBrewster, J. (2009). Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. New York: VDM Publishing House, Ltd. Schultz, S. (2005, December 28). Calls made to strengthen state energy policies. The Country Today, pp. 1A, 2A. Sirleaf, A. M. D. (2009). Visionary Liberia leader: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Bloomington, IN: Author House. Sucher, J. S., (2010) “Ellen Johnson Sirleaf: Moral Leadership in Action.” Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from: http://blogs.hbr.org/imagining-the-future-of-leadership/2010/05/ellen-johnson-sirleaf-moral-le.html Read More