KemetLeads
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
President of Liberia (2006–2018); Africa's first elected female head of state
She took over a country shattered by civil war — and handed it to a peaceful successor.
KemetLeads Scorecard
How we score →Governance delivery▲ +3.7 2014–2018
Democratic trajectory▼ -0.02 2006–2018
Rule of law & corruption▼ -2.1 2006–2018
Rights & participation▲ +0.02 2006–2018
Constitutional conduct & exit
4.4 / 5
✓ Democratic legitimacy✓ Constitutional conduct✓ Peaceful exit± Development & rights
Twice elected, respected the two-term limit and handed power to the opposition — Liberia's first such transfer since 1944.
Rows 1–4: country-level change during the tenure — evidence, not proof.
Our read
Africa's first elected female president took Liberia from post-war rubble to its first peaceful handover since 1944. The corruption criticisms are real; so is the +3.7 governance climb on her watch.
The rise
A Harvard-trained economist and former finance minister, 'Ma Ellen' survived imprisonment and exile before winning the presidency in 2005.
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