Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, becomes the first woman to be Head of State in Africa

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, dons the presidential sash with assistance from Liberia's Senior Ambassador-at-Large, George W. Wallace, Jr., during her inauguration ceremony at the Capitol Building in Monrovia, Liberia, January 16, 2006

Updated: 14 Jan 2020

Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf became the first elected woman as Head of State in Africa. Johnson-Sirleaf’s historic inauguration as President of Liberia was on 16 January, 2006. She became the 24th President of Liberia. Her historic achievement was the culmination of decades of fighting for freedom, justice and equality in Liberia. In 2011 President Johnson-Sirleaf shared the prestigious Nobel Prize for Peace with two other women, fellow Liberian Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkul Karman of Yemen. History repeated itself when she was re-elected in November 2011, and was inauguratedon 16 January 2012 to a second and final term of office. This event coincided with her six-year anniversary as Liberian President.

How we know this

01Government of the Republic of Liberia, ‘Biographical Brief of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’, from Executive Mansion, [online], Available at www.emansion.gov.lr [Accessed: 16 November 2012]
02Biography, ‘Ellen Johnson Sirleaf biography’, from bio.TrueStory, [online], Available at www.biography.com [Accessed: 16 November 2012]

Last updated · 14 Jan 2020

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2012, December 20). Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, becomes the first woman to be Head of State in Africa. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0094459

South African History Online (2012) 'Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, becomes the first woman to be Head of State in Africa', South African History Online, 20 December. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0094459 (Accessed: 6 November 2026).

South African History Online, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, becomes the first woman to be Head of State in Africa [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0094459, (accessed 6 November 2026).

"Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, becomes the first woman to be Head of State in Africa." South African History Online, 20 Dec. 2012, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0094459. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

South African History Online. "Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, becomes the first woman to be Head of State in Africa." South African History Online. December 20, 2012. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0094459.