Monrovia, Liberia / Kigali, Rwanda – The Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development (EJS Center) and the African School of Governance (ASG) are pleased to announce the

Dakar, Senegal — Conversations about women’s leadership usually stop at women. The 2026 Amujae High-Level Leadership Forum did something most forums on women’s leadership rarely do: it put men in

Dakar, Senegal — The Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development (EJS Center) brought its Country Talks series to Senegal, convening a plenary session at the Center’s Amujae

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Dakar, Senegal — 13 August 2026: The Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development (EJS Center) today opened its 2026 Amujae High-Level Leadership Forum in

Monrovia, Liberia — June 14, 2026: At the 2026 Amujae Leadership Forum, hosted by the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development (EJS Center) in Monrovia this week,

The Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development (EJS Center) condemns in the strongest possible terms the coordinated campaign of cyber harassment, defamation, and character assassination targeting women

It is with profound sadness that I note the passing of H.E. Dr. Festus Gontebanye Mogae, former President of the Republic of Botswana, a giant of African leadership whose life

For Immediate Release Monrovia, Liberia: Five years after its founding, the Amujae Initiative enters a new chapter. The Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development (EJS Center) today

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Aida Alassane Ndiaye Riddick, a distinguished public servant from Côte d’Ivoire and a member of the inaugural cohort of our Amujae Initiative.

The Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development (EJS Center) has been recognized by the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) as the Highest Remitter – Local NGO for fiscal

April 2026: The events of April 12, 1980, remain among the most painful in Liberia’s history. I lived through them. I lost colleagues. I was detained. And like every Liberian

On 17 February 2026, Africa’s first democratically elected female president, former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, joined Kenyan lawmakers, academics, civil society representatives and media experts in Nairobi for a

New York, September 25, 2025: At the Clinton Global Initiative’s 20th Anniversary meeting, the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development (EJS Center) announced a landmark USD 30

It is my pleasure to announce that the Board of Directors has appointed Ms. Ellen Olounfe Pratt as the next Executive Director of the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women

Marrakech, Morocco: As African and global leaders convened for the 2025 Ibrahim Governance Weekend to address the theme “Financing the Africa We Want,” the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for

The Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development (EJS Center) is deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of Hon. Joyce Chitsulo, Deputy Minister of Local Government,

Monrovia, Liberia: The Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development (EJS Center) is proud to announce the fourth cohort of its Amujae Leaders—13 outstanding women public leaders from

Monrovia, Liberia: On International Women’s Day (8 March 2025), the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development (the EJS Center) celebrated its fifth anniversary with a series of

On Tuesday, 29 October 2024, former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf led a soft groundbreaking for Musiehjah, the future home of the African Women’s House, at the project site on Tubman

In a series of three new reports, we take stock of the progress towards gender equality in public leadership across Africa, showcase the women reshaping a key sector for the

Kigali, Rwanda: On 18 and 19 April, 2024, the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development (the EJS Center) hosted the first Amujae High-Level Leadership Forum since before

The participation of women in the democratic process is vital for progress, sustainable development, and the preservation of peace and social stability. And in a year poised to be the

Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. – On International Women’s Day (8 March), Former President of Liberia, Nobel Peace Prize winner, and the first democratically elected woman head of state for an African

We are in a crucial year for democracy right across the globe. Electorates spanning more than 60 countries are heading to the polls to elect a new wave of officials

When Ellen Johnson Sirleaf became the first democratically elected woman president in Africa, she embarked on an arduous journey to bring Liberia into a new era of peace, democracy, and

Inclusive multilateralism can help unlock comprehensive and sustainable solutions in a world burdened by complex, interconnected challenges.  Central to this inclusive approach is recognizing women as pivotal stakeholders in decision-making

Over the past few weeks, against the backdrop of a military coup in Niger and political violence in Zimbabwe, former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has expressed why now is such

We are deeply concerned by the reports of political violence and other human rights violations in Zimbabwe in the lead up to the country’s general elections on 23rd August 2023.

Advancing gender equality requires long-term commitment, collective action, and the determination to challenge and overcome systemic barriers and obstacles. Critical to these efforts is the presence of women in leadership

The Women Deliver 2023 Conference that took place last week in Rwanda was a major focal point for those working to advance gender equality on the African continent and beyond.

Women and girls are the backbone of local communities in Liberia. Their active participation in vital daily activities and decision-making processes drives development and transforms the way communities face their

Closing the economic opportunity gap across the globe requires a multidimensional approach based on equity, inclusion, and the respect of human rights. For people in Africa, economic and wealth disparities

Droughts and desertification continue to affect large swathes of our planet. Considered by the United Nations as a major threat to sustainable development, droughts are estimated to impact over three-quarters

Climate change has been defined as the worst catastrophe of our generation. Its repercussions are already affecting millions of people across the planet. Here in Africa, despite having one of

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf s’associe avec la Harvard Library pour conserver et gérer ses documents personnels   Communiqué de presse conjoint de l’ancienne présidente libérienne Ellen Johnson Sirleaf et de la

Africa is a diverse, youthful, and dynamic continent. Its people have been the custodians of rich cultural and natural heritages and have overcome challenges throughout the ages. This Africa Day,

The EJS Center’s mission to champion women’s ascension to the highest levels of leadership across Africa continues with renewed vigor in 2023 with the inauguration of the 2023 Amujae Leaders.

We are delighted to announce the third cohort of accomplished African women – the 2023 Amujae Leaders – joining our flagship program, the Amujae Initiative. The third cohort is made

Women leaders of today walk in the footsteps of those who, through their past achievements, have unlocked the doors of leadership and progressed before them. Day after day, they draw

Leveraging research and innovation to improve human capital development and public financial management are hallmarks of Amujae Leader Dr. Yakama Manty Jones’s career in public leadership. Joining a panel of

Since the first International Women’s Day was held over a century ago, much progress has been made toward gender equity as a fundamental human right and the basis for a

On this International Women’s Day, we are celebrating three years since the inception of the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development (EJS Center). We also continue to

Achieving peace and silencing the guns of conflict across Africa are critical if the continent is to achieve its full potential. In a keynote address at the Chatham House ‘Silencing

As the first democratically elected woman president in Africa, Liberia’s former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, has created a leadership legacy, inspiring women and girls from across Africa to walk in

The EJS Center recently spoke with Amujae Leader Umra Omar about the current challenges faced by rural women and girls in the Lamu Archipelago, and how, through her work with

As the Governor of Kenya’s Kirinyaga County and the Chairperson of the Council of Governors, Amujae Leader Anne Waiguru has been involved in key climate interventions with several county governments

The Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development (EJS Center) has welcomed its new Interim Executive Director and Board Secretary, Ms. Oley Dibba-Wadda, who will take over from

Representing the Ministry of Finance at the opening session of the Tax for Development Conference hosted by the International Centre for Tax and Development and the Budget Advocacy Network in

Speaking with Mayor of London Sadiq Khan on his podcast ‘Clear the Air’, Mayor Aki-Sawyerr reflected on her journey so far and discussed her ambitions for Freetown and the future

Women’s access to leadership positions is needed more than ever amid the current global challenges we face. Delivering a message of support for women leaders in Africa and across the

To discuss women’s critical role at the highest levels of leadership, former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf joined former US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and former Prime Minister of

On the 62nd anniversary of Nigeria’s independence, a group of prominent Nigerian women from all walks of life reflected on their country’s journey through the past six decades, and expressed

With a loan portfolio fully dedicated to women, the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) is playing an active role in helping women entrepreneurs build and grow their own businesses.

The EJS Center is pleased to announce the appointment of Cynthia Appenteng as its new Director of Partnerships and Resource Mobilization.

Rapid urbanization and the global climate change crisis are significant challenges that policymakers must urgently address if cities around the world are to contemplate a productive and sustainable future.

“There can be no global impact without local community input, buy-in, and implementation,” stated Amujae Leader and Mayor of Freetown, Sierra Leone, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr during her intervention at the Bill

Women are the backbone of the healthcare systems in Africa, yet they lack the support and protection they deserve. As a pioneering African healthcare woman leader, EJS Center Board Member

With the recent publishing of the World Economic Forum’s 2022 Global Gender Gap Report comes the sobering conclusion that the global gender gap has only been closed by 68.1%. This

Leading Ladies’ Network—a Ghana-based nonprofit organization founded by Amujae Leader Yawa Hansen-Quao to help young women acquire life skills and achieve their leadership potential—recently organized a reception in honor of

Amujae Leader Dr. Adaeze Oreh—Country Head of Planning, Research, and Statistics for Nigeria’s National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS)—has published a new research paper on the current state of maternal health

Some of Africa's most accomplished women leaders gathered recently under one roof at the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center in Italy to reflect on their leadership journey, exchange experiences, receive mentorship,

Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are inalienable human rights and essential components of gender justice.

The EJS Center is pleased to announce the release of the book: ‘The Reconstruction of Post-War Liberia: Achievements and Challenges of the Presidency of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.’

As part of its ongoing effort to chart the progress of women’s public leadership across Africa, the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development (EJS Center) has published

How can data play a role in helping women rise to positions of power?

More and more women are overcoming the systemic barriers that hamper progress toward gender parity. The courage and strength of such women has been emphasized by former President Ellen Johnson

One year after their report in which they put forward recommendations for transforming the international system for pandemic preparedness and response, the co-chairs of the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness