Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Quotes
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Of course, I am the first democratically elected woman president in Africa, and that raises a lot of expectations. Because I represent the aspirations of women all over Africa, I must succeed for them. I must keep the door open for women's participation in politics at the highest level. That is both humbling and exciting.
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I believe that there are certain attributes in a woman that give her some advantages over a man. Women are usually more honest, more sensitive to issues and bring a stronger sense of commitment and dedication to what they do. Maybe because they were mothers, and being a mother you have that special attention for the family, for the young, for children…
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If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough.
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Our entire judicial system in Liberia has broken down because of the many years of lawlessness, indiscipline and warfare. We need more training to get more qualified judges. We need infrastructural reforms. All of our laws need to be re-examined by a law reform commission.
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Liberia just needs to go through this one political transition and it can really take off. Everything's in place now. We cannot afford to put the country in the hands of someone that lacks the experience.
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Ethnicity should enrich us; it should make us a unique people in our diversity and not be used to divide us.
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I don't face any particular problems as a woman president because I have been a professional for a long time. I keep telling people: I am a technocrat who happens to be a woman.
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To girls and women everywhere, I issue a simple invitation. My sisters, my daughters, my friends; find your voice
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We all have a stake in the battle against Ebola.
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I earned my professional credibility a long time ago in a male-dominated world. I just hope that as a woman, I bring in an extra dimension to the job. I bring in the sensitivity of being a woman and a mother, and that means I pay more attention to women, children, and the social needs of society.
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I think the majority of the Liberian people want peace.
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Liberia has to take primary responsibility for its own reform agenda. But our resources are limited. We have to attract the private sector to get jobs to our people that will enable us to raise the government revenue, but to do that we have to build infrastructure. It's a very complex problem of development we are facing here.
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I stand by it. I take the criticism for it. I think it's unfair, but yes, there is a thing about nepotism, and we all try to respect it.
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I underestimated the low level of capacity. I also underestimated the cultural roots of corruption.
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Future generations will judge us not by what we say, but what we do.
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We are here because we share a fundamental belief: that poverty, illiteracy, disease and inequality do not belong in the twenty-first century. We share a common purpose: to eradicate these ills for the benefit of all. And we share a common tool to achieve this: the Millennium Development Goals.
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Liberia can move on and break from the past. That is very important for us to try to achieve our development goals and reconcile our nation.
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My mother was a disciplinarian. She believed that when young girls start to go out with young boys, they get married.
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In Liberia, our main obstacle is infrastructure: the lights, the water, the roads. Companies can't operate without those things. And even though we have commitments from our partners, it takes time to turn commitments into cash.
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The size of your dreams must always exceed your current capacity to achieve them. If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough.
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In Liberia, the big challenge that remains for us is job creation. We want young people to work or go to school. That is our main preoccupation right now.
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I've been a victor of circumstance.
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I've been involved in politics for quite some time. I've held positions, and my experiences are very deep, and I think I have the capacity, the courage, and the character to institute the kinds of reforms that are so desperately needed.