According to UN Women, at the current pace, gender equality for Heads of State and governments will not be reached for at least 130 years. The data compiled highlighted that only 15 countries currently have a woman Head of State, while only 16 countries have a woman Head of Government.
At the 2023 Global Black Economic Forum Business Summit, we organized and moderated a conversation with Former President of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and United States Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas Greenfield discussing the importance of centering women leaders and the broader impact women’s leadership can have on building a more prosperous economy for everyone.
At the end of the session, GBEF announced a new partnership with the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (EJS) Presidential Center to support the Amujae Initiative. The Amujae Initiative is the crown jewel of the EJS Center and a transformative program that empowers and equips women from all walks of life with the tools and resources to embrace the power of community and mobilize as a united force for change.
The Global Black Economic Forum has now made the first of three $100,000 commitments to this program. Advancing Women’s Leadership is absolutely vital if we hope to build a more economically just world across the Diaspora. GBEF’s funding with the EJS Center will increase the visibility of women leaders in public service across Africa, enhance the capacity-building offerings of the EJS Center’s programming, and support the continued growth of this network of trailblazing women who are changemakers committed to building a more fair and equitable world.
In response to the Global Black Economic Forum’s donation, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf stated, “With valued support from the Global Black Economic Forum, the EJS Center will continue to empower and advance the next generation of women leaders in Africa.”
Trailblazers like President Sirleaf shattered glass ceilings to expand the imagination of what’s possible for women in Africa, and the Global Black Economic Forum will continue to fund and empower women across the globe to transform our future for the better.
At the 2023 ESSENCE Festival of Culture, President Sirleaf stated “I wish women ruled the world.”
Together we can move the world closer to making her wish a reality.
Alphonso David is the President & CEO of the Global Black Economic Forum