NEW YORK -- The election of Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf as president of Liberia could mean that a tremendously positive transformation could happen in Africa, one that may extend beyond Liberia's borders. In a country where women make up more than half the electorate, the election of Johnson-Sirleaf could help galvanize women's political participation throughout the continent.
Liberia's presidential election came two years after the country went through a brutal civil war that displaced almost a third of its 1.3 million population and left 200,000 dead. Charles Taylor, a warlord who was Liberia's president, fueled the civil war, which shattered the country's already fragile infrastructure and practically bankrupted the country. He now lives in exile in Nigeria.
Johnson-Sirleaf was educated at Harvard and later became Liberia's finance minister during President William Tolbert's administration in 1970. Her vocal opposition to the military government of Gen. Samuel Doe landed her in prison in 1985. She was released after a short period, went into exile and returned in 1997.