Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa's First Elected Female President, Lifting Up Liberia (VIDEO)

Fractured by a 14-year civil war, Liberia is trying to pick up the pieces, facing staggering unemployment and lackluster infrastructure.

Halfway into her first term, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf -- an economist educated at Harvard University who won the presidency at age 67 -- is leading that recovery.

As Africa's first elected female head of state, she has taken on corruption, gotten some of Liberia's debt canceled and rebuilt the army with the help of the U.S.

Worldfocus correspondent Lynn Sherr and producer Megan Thompson report on one extraordinary woman trying to remake life in war-torn Liberia. Tune in for Worldfocus' four-part signature series on Liberia airing the week of April 13.

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Comments

[JScott]

04:35 PM on 04/02/2009

Yup let the women run the world for a while, the men don't seem to be doing such a great job.

[IntellectuallyHonest]

03:12 PM on 04/02/2009

Many women do not realize that they can accomplish a lot as politicians, heads of state, etc. They make great cops, amazing commandos and even better parents. I always enjoyed working with my female co-workers in law enforcement - you knew most if not all of them were clean. The way the labor force is set up is really stupid if you ask me - men should be forced to do all of the manual labor jobs, and if it is the case that they have a talent for white collar, sedentary-style work, then they should have mandatory exercise and lots of it. All over our country, men are overweight and spurn manual labor. I loved manual labor when I was in the private sector as a bellman; I had even more physical work in law enforcement and no, I was not in a squad car. There is one thing that men will never beat women with: Brains. We should focus on our brawn and cultivate it. I think the ideal work situation would be for the men to have exercise clubs, whether unemployed or not, and complete mandatory physical fitness activities each week. As long as women do not turn the men into eunuchs when they are in charge in the palace, then I am all for women leading and dictating because for some reason, they tend to be more fair and humane. Just allow us (men) to be we dream of: Officers and gentlemen. Handsome, athletically fit, just.

[Paralogos]

02:09 PM on 04/02/2009

Um, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was elected president of Liberia in *2005* and sworn in in January 2006. Why is this news three years later? Is Huf Po's "Africa desk" that unfamiliar with African affairs???

[roald]

04:30 PM on 04/02/2009

The story includes current information on what she has done for the country.

[eugenegerard]

11:22 AM on 04/02/2009

Replace all the world male leaders with women. The wars will end.

[IDIKO]

08:40 AM on 04/02/2009

A lesson in the present, since African leaders have become total failures with their thuggish politics and their brutal tactics, African people must be better off electing Women from Egypt to South Africa.
In Nigeria for example,all the posts presently hold or held before has been a success and efficiently managed, once it revert to men ,they messed it up. KUDOS TO WOMEN OF AFRICA

[roshni]

10:03 PM on 04/01/2009

Brava - way to go!

[BrockObummer]

07:38 PM on 04/01/2009

Are you sure that's a woman?

[Fyrefly86]

09:48 AM on 04/02/2009

We're sure you're a jerk.

[eugenegerard]

11:20 AM on 04/02/2009

DITTO

[Doc0976]

04:33 PM on 04/02/2009

Don't you have some article about Britney Spears to read? Oh look, there's one about Jessica Biel stripping! Have at it, Brock! Hopefully there aren't too many words to distract you from the pretty pictures.

[MsIrisMG]

07:08 PM on 04/01/2009

She looks formidable, not someone to be trifled with.

[loveobamas]

07:54 PM on 04/01/2009

Yeah you right,my dad mom is like that she's not no joke.

[PamperedHousecat]

06:32 PM on 04/01/2009

I would hope that one day Mrs. Obama could visit Liberia. I see her and President Sirleaf as being both very dynamic personalities, and hopefully both countries could benefit from positive dialogue and actions.

[RIXX]

10:00 PM on 04/01/2009

What can US get from a country called Liberia somewhere in Africa??

(no disrespect intended...just trying to be rational)

[foster1990]

11:17 PM on 04/01/2009

If you're trying to be rational it didn't work.

[suec03]

11:47 PM on 04/01/2009

Do you know the history of Liberia and its special relationship to the US? In 1847, freed slaves from the US who had moved to Liberia set up a government based on that of the US and named the capital city "Monrovia" after US president James Monroe. To this day Liberians self-identify based on whether their ancestors were indigenous to Liberia or whether their ancestors left the US to settle in Liberia (the Americo-Liberians). As I understand it, the governing class in Liberia has been dominated by Americo-Liberians who trace ancestry back to the USA, causing some resentment among indigenous Liberians.

[Doc0976]

06:13 PM on 04/01/2009

I am so pleased that someone has covered this remarkable woman and her accomplishments for Liberia. I am Liberian by descent (my mother is the Mayor Designate of Monrovia) and look forward to a time when Liberia will be restored and recovered from its brutal war-torn days of the past.

I cannot wait to see the Worldfocus series!

[roshni]

10:03 PM on 04/01/2009

I was glad when she was elected and she is doing great.

[owo9ja]

10:42 AM on 04/02/2009

she is as corrupt and ineffectual as the rest. read about her past connections to all the dictators, and wonder why it's never covered in the press

[Doc0976]

04:30 PM on 04/02/2009

You have no idea what you are talking about. None.