Book Review: This Child Will be Great - An Autobiography by Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf

At the last Women’s Funding Network’s annual conference in Atlanta, Georgia, I saw a book for sale that I could not resist purchasing for AWDF’s Resource Centre. The book was the autobiography of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, “This Child Will Be Great”. Although I bought the book in April it was only this month that I got round to reading the book and what a great read it has been.

Prior to reading the book all I knew about the Liberian President was that:

• She had been successful in becoming Africa’s first democratically elected woman President
• The African women’s movement had been elated when she ascended the presidency,
• She co-convened the International Colloquium on Women’s Leadership which I attended in Liberia and I also had the pleasure of handing her a copy of AWDF’s newly published “Compendium of Key Human Rights Documents for African Women”
• My very unscientific poll of drivers in Liberia (I would ask drivers whilst riding in vehicles what they thought of the President and of the International Colloquium) showed she had a high popularity rating
• Recently Liberia’s Truth & Reconciliation Commission has said she could not stand for political office for a number of years once her current term ends.

It was against this background that I read her autobiography. I really had no particular expectations but by the end of the book I thought “Wow, this is one inspirational, transformational leader”. I feel sad that she will not be able to run for a second term as Liberia’s President. Her passion for her country shone through and I believe during her current term she has put Liberia on the right part to development.

As a feminist I am also thrilled that President Ellen recognises the role women played in getting her elected and is committed to advancing the rights of women. In her inaugural speech she said:

“It is therefore not suprising that during the period of our elections, Liberian women were galvanized – and demonstrated unmatched passion, enthusiasm and support for my candidacy. They stood with me; they defended me; they prayed for me. The same can be said for the women throughout Africa. I want to here and now, gratefully acknowledge the powerful voice of women of all walks of life whose votes significantly contributed to my victory.
My Administration shall thus endeavour to give Liberian women prominence in all affairs of our country. My Administration shall empower Liberian women in all areas of our national life. We will support and increase the writ of laws that restore their dignities and deal drastically with crimes that dehumanize them. We will enforce without fear or favor the law against rape recently passed by the National Transitional Legislature. We shall encourage families to educate all children, particularly the girl child. We shall also try to provide economic programs that enable Liberian women to assume their proper place in our economic revitalization process.”

This Child Will Be Great is published by HarperCollins Publishers