Africa’s First Presidential Center for Women Leaders

Summary

In 2025, the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development (EJS Center) committed to scaling its three-pronged approach to advancing African women’s participation in public service by 2028 through leadership development, research and communications initiatives, and maintaining archives of past leaders. EJS Center will formally launch and build the Africa Women’s House – the first women’s presidential center in the world – to house research and archives, including a robust and enhanced data hub to track women’s leadership trends across Africa and provide insights to inform policy, dialogue, advocacy, and program design. In addition, they will enroll 100 women in their Amujae Leaders Program, recruit mentors and coaches to provide support, and host Two Amujae High Level Forums to convene participants of the program.Taken together, these efforts will tackle barriers that keep African women underrepresented in public service; harness women leaders’ proven prioritization of areas that are fundamental to safe, stable, and thriving societies; and increase women’s full engagement in all aspects of public life.

Approach

African Women’s House, the world’s first Presidential Center for a woman leader, will document President Sirleaf’s presidency and legacy, while also creating the base for a community investing in the next generation of African women leaders. President Sirleaf’s vision is for the African Women’s House to be a dedicated space in tribute to and in service of women leaders across Africa, to act as a global fulcrum of change and an incubator where mentorship, collaboration, and advocacy converge.
In 2025, the EJS Center is marking five years of network-building, leadership development, and campaigns to overcome the barriers facing women in public service. The flagship Amujae Initiative comprises 54 women from 24 countries, with a new cohort joining in 2025. Selection for the program is through an apolitical, merit-based and competitive process. Amujae leaders join a sisterhood of women committed to public service. During their first year they receive training, coaching from women with first hand experience of public office in Africa, support with professional development and co-create topic-related collectives in relevant policy areas. Importantly, these women join a lifelong sisterhood, lifting one another on their paths to public service.
In the coming five years, the EJS Center will grow this network to over 100 women representing every African country. From 2025, Amujae leaders will be increasingly asked to mentor and provide opportunities for younger women, through a new next-gen initiative. Complementary research, communications and advocacy programs, focused on the evidence base for women’s leadership, will also expand in scope and scale.
The Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development has quickly established itself as the premier institution advancing women’s public leadership in Africa. This formal launch of plans to begin construction of the Presidential Center and its expanded programs represents the next phase of growth.

Action Plan

This Commitment to Action will be fulfilled in two parts. First, launching the Amujae Initiative, and second, constructing the African Women’s House.
The Amujae Initiative will focus on strategic recruitment, mentorship expansion, and leadership development:
Application process for the recruitment of the 5th cohort (2025) Recruitment of additional mentors and coaches to strengthen support to the leaders (2026) Amujae High Level Forum – Convening of all four cohorts (2026 and 2028) Announcement and Induction Forum of fifth cohort of 15 additional leaders bring the total number of participants to 80 (2026) Amujae Leadership and Policy Bootcamp empowering participants to drive policy changes in their respective countries (2026) The launch of the Next Gen initiative will create opportunities for brilliant young professional women with an interest in leadership to work with Amujae Leaders, gaining insight into the realities of serving in positions of public and political leadership.
The construction of the African Women’s House will follow a phased approach including architectural planning and mobilization of resources:
Architectural Engineering Process – Preparation of construction specifications (2025) Permit Process (2025) Bidding Process and Contractor Selection (2025) 70 percent of the total construction funding is secured allowing for site preparation to begin (2025) Construction Begins starting with retaining wall (2026) 75 percent of the total construction funding is secured (2026) 85 percent of the total construction funding is secured (2026) African Women’s House fully constructed and operational (2027)

Background

Women’s leadership is critical for Africa’s progress. When women are in decision-making roles, they prioritize areas that are fundamental to safe, stable, and thriving societies, like health, education, and youth development. Across the globe, increased numbers of women in public life correlates to lower levels of corruption, stronger legislation related to anti-discrimination, and a lesser likelihood of using violence when faced with potential international conflict. In addressing the climate crisis, female representation in national parliaments leads countries to adopt more stringent climate change policies: a one-point increase in a country’s score on the Women’s Political Empowerment Index has been found to result in an average 11.5% drop in that country’s emissions (Sustainable Development, 2022) .
While Africa is trending in the right direction, the unfettered participation of women in public life is still an aspiration. Today in Africa, women occupy about 24 percent of parliamentary seats, close to the global average. Unfortunately, two subregions, Southern Africa and East Africa, largely account for Africa’s high rates of women’s representation while West, Northern and Central Africa fall far behind. As such, true governing powers remain largely closed to women. Women lack access to the well-established networks and pathways within public management structures. Women are also inadequately represented in the civil service, the apolitical cadre of professionals who enable a state to provide citizens with essential services and protections.
As the first woman to receive the Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf dedicated the prize to women and girls across Africa hoping they “will be inspired to break through barriers and push back on the frontiers of life’s possibilities.” In 2020, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf assembled a small team and set about working to empower women on the path to public service, focusing on a vision that transcends elections and politics.

Progress Update

Partnership Opportunities

EJS Center is seeking strategic partnerships to help scale its impact and sustain its efforts.
Funding support is essential to complete the construction of the African Women’s House, which will serve as a permanent hub for leadership development and historical preservation. Media partnerships and speaking engagements will help amplify the Center’s work and increase the visibility of Amujae Leaders.
The EJS Center is seeking implementing partner organizations with regional expertise, advocacy networks, or policy influence to deepen its efforts and extend the reach of its programs. Additionally, technical experts and seasoned professionals are invited to contribute their time as mentors and coaches, providing guidance and strategic insights to Amujae Leaders as they navigate leadership roles.
The EJS Center invites collaboration with governments, historical and cultural preservation organizations, multilateral bodies, and advocacy groups to drive policy changes that open more pathways for women in leadership and shape policy discussions at both national and continental levels., Through this commitment, partners will access the African Women’s House as a space for collaboration, dialogue, and convening key stakeholders. The African Women’s House will serve as a hub for thought leadership, providing access to President Sirleaf’s collections, an archive of her governance and public service journey that offers invaluable lessons for leaders and changemakers.
Organizations engaging with this commitment will have opportunities for recognition, access to meeting spaces, and deeper collaboration with the EJS Center’s network. This includes working alongside Amujae Leaders. Partners will also gain access to the EJS Center’s Data Hub, which tracks women’s leadership trends across the continent, offering insights that can inform policy, dialogue, advocacy, and program design.
This partnership offers collective impact. By leveraging the EJS Center’s tools, data, and expertise, organizations can strengthen their leadership initiatives and contribute to a broader movement for gender equity in public leadership, strengthening women’s democratic participation in Africa and globally.