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How women will lead us to freedom, justice and peace | H.E. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

Visit to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more. “I was the first woman president of an African nation, and I do believe more countries ought to try that,” says H.E. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Nobel laureate and former president of Liberia. Telling the story of how Liberian women…

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“I was the first woman president of an African nation, and I do believe more countries ought to try that,” says H.E. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Nobel laureate and former president of Liberia. Telling the story of how Liberian women helped rebuild their country after years of civil war, Sirleaf discusses why gender equality is essential to peace and prosperity — and shares her plan to uplift a generation of women prepared to take leadership positions and catalyze social change.

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98 Comments

  1. Angel Darling

    July 17, 2020 at 11:46 pm

    This is super sexist.
    Sincerely,
    A woman who’s been victimized mainly by other women.

  2. Shada

    July 17, 2020 at 11:49 pm

    My only worry with this kind of attitude is that it is a lot easier to just become part of the status quo than it is to actually change anything. The girlboss attitude that Liberalism tends to build through attempts to work within the system is just as repressive as a full, unmodified patriarchy. Let us never forget that the problems of our world lay within as well as without, so we can never forget to criticize our own points of view

  3. ManiacallyYours

    July 17, 2020 at 11:51 pm

    1:40 Headline: “Thousand of men dead. Women and children most affected.”

    • Tomás Gomes

      July 18, 2020 at 12:44 am

      Legit made me laugh.

    • Stellular Nebulla

      July 18, 2020 at 1:15 am

      @Tomás Gomes Haha same aye. Was a good bitta humour

  4. Paridae Vision

    July 17, 2020 at 11:54 pm

    The world has always been like this, and women were part of it…They won’t change anything, especially because it has nothing to do with real women but with the satanic “divine feminine” which is very old, the Bible addresses this already….

  5. I Don't Have A Goddamn Name

    July 17, 2020 at 11:57 pm

    Good for her. Just remember it’s about equality, not about other people getting to rule each other. It’s a vicious cycle that needs to stop. Feminism should not be called feminism, it should be called equalism.
    One more thing for you all to think about:
    All lives matter, but not all lives GET to matter

  6. day6creation breathing

    July 17, 2020 at 11:57 pm

    i cant find any wusdom in a woman.

  7. Me shif

    July 18, 2020 at 12:01 am

    Ladies and Gentlemen, please consider her culture and perspective. She accomplish something NO Other woman had in Africa, before her time. USA has enough shady politicians both male and female.

  8. BigGwak

    July 18, 2020 at 12:01 am

    We all want to change this world for better. Whether you are a man or woman. That is whole point, the meaningful point. some radical feminism turning the half of population enemy is most unlikely successful movement. Man and Woman are interdependent, we are not exclusive to each other, whether physically, mentally or even spiritually,so please remove your ‘seem-intellectual’ hate speech and try something really right for whole human being.

  9. ken wahler

    July 18, 2020 at 12:04 am

    feminist garbage

  10. Mike Hatley

    July 18, 2020 at 12:04 am

    X doubt

  11. Titanis

    July 18, 2020 at 12:06 am

    How GOOD PEOPLE will lead us to freedom. justice and peace.

    • I Don't Have A Goddamn Name

      July 18, 2020 at 12:16 am

      THANK YOU. Spoken not like a man or a woman, but a decent person.

  12. Bob Frog

    July 18, 2020 at 12:09 am

    Oh look, more trash from TED.

  13. Krista Kay

    July 18, 2020 at 12:25 am

    As a woman, I hate this title. More propaganda being smushed into our brains

  14. TheMrmoc7

    July 18, 2020 at 12:27 am

    While I can see some advantages to having some women in leadership positions, I see no advantage to having only women in leadership positions. That sounds like a recipe for disaster. Also, let’s take this time to acknowledge all the men and boys who died in that civil war, since this former president of Liberia clearly isn’t concerned about them.

  15. Matter

    July 18, 2020 at 12:30 am

    The next time you allow someone to step on your stage please make sure that they are not corrupt first.

  16. temporary

    July 18, 2020 at 12:35 am

    The down votes to this video give me more hope that freedom and justice are alive and well than the message.

  17. Tomás Gomes

    July 18, 2020 at 12:47 am

    I hope this race and gender bullshit stops before the 30’s.
    All these people saying they want to promote equality are doing exactly the opposite.

  18. dakota de dreu

    July 18, 2020 at 12:56 am

    Ache sister!

  19. 01ṝệņḍệṝįņĝ01

    July 18, 2020 at 12:56 am

    how not to be a racist
    title: say no more

  20. ShamelessDuck

    July 18, 2020 at 1:02 am

    What could be more sexist then the fact that if you say “women will lead the world to a better place” and get a TED talk, but if you say “men will lead the world to a better place” you’re cursed beyond imaginable. It’s not the feminism that won, it’s misandry.

  21. TOY BOX BRAIN

    July 18, 2020 at 1:12 am

    Yeah…not with women like Officer Karen that lose their composure of having to wait for something…

  22. Stellular Nebulla

    July 18, 2020 at 1:14 am

    Clicked just to see like to dislike ratio. Wasn’t surprised 😂

  23. Jack Jammen

    July 18, 2020 at 1:14 am

    Hillary Clinton is a warhawk. Not all women are good for this world.

  24. Fabio Fernandes

    July 18, 2020 at 1:19 am

    Say NO to Marxism.

  25. Ben Tatou

    July 18, 2020 at 1:20 am

    The crimes of the likes of Epstein and Weinstein have destroyed our women for years. Glad to see the chauvinists are being uncovered everywhere. Behind every great man is a great woman. Now a days they have trophy wives.

  26. Anakin Skywalker

    July 18, 2020 at 3:49 pm

    I’ve brought peace , freedom, justice and security to my new empire.

  27. Mike theJedi

    July 18, 2020 at 3:51 pm

    If only I wasn’t a man. *waves fist in the sky*

  28. James Lasso

    July 18, 2020 at 4:43 pm

    Hillary would have brought us freedom (enemies list she kept), justice ( Clinton foundation corruption) peace (lybia)

  29. Shon Gorgeous

    July 18, 2020 at 4:52 pm

    Just say yall hate women and move on.

    • Adam Bureš

      July 18, 2020 at 5:26 pm

      I hate this women, women in general are fine.

    • Deborah Lancaster

      July 18, 2020 at 7:14 pm

      Criticism isn’t hate sweety.

  30. khawla Al Hafiz

    July 18, 2020 at 5:14 pm

    Wow so impressive really she’s strong and powerful lady she inspired me with her speech.
    Indeed women are the development core they also the change fuel.
    If women strong the whole community will be strong.

  31. Prema Poojitan Ananda

    July 18, 2020 at 5:19 pm

    ❤️

  32. dev0n james

    July 18, 2020 at 6:12 pm

    women are being used to lead us all to communism.

  33. Dr. Dismemberment

    July 18, 2020 at 6:29 pm

    I didn’t know tedwomen was a thing lmao

    Seems like it there was a tedmen it would be a sexist patriarchy

  34. Dr. Dismemberment

    July 18, 2020 at 6:40 pm

    Women say that don’t have equal rights, but if I a man was up on stage spewing this type of hot garbage he would be stoned and hung

  35. lee

    July 18, 2020 at 7:07 pm

    Over 60% of their legislation is woman? But that’s not enough… How is that not enough When there are equal numbers of men and women.

  36. Deborah Lancaster

    July 18, 2020 at 7:20 pm

    Chicago, Atlanta, and Seattle are three majore US cities with women in charge of them. Those cities have devolved into total chaos while their clueless mayors do nothing.

    Having female organs will not make you a better more peaceful leader. People need to be judged on merit not gender and skin color

  37. BloodStripe LeatherNeck

    July 18, 2020 at 7:21 pm

    The CCP probably owns TED

  38. Samet Aktaş

    July 18, 2020 at 7:24 pm

    I just came here to dislike

  39. Nn n

    July 18, 2020 at 7:48 pm

    An idea NOT worth spreading.
    Women are no different than men. Just put the right people in place and everything will go fine.
    Today’s problems are that people in power just care solely of keeping things as is and never really focus on the interest of everybody.
    I dont even understand why Ted is publishing this.

  40. Juan Pacheco

    July 18, 2020 at 8:01 pm

    my kids won’t skip another meal again because of this method here, *l a z y h o m e p r o .c l u b*

  41. Roger Vansteenkerke

    July 18, 2020 at 8:02 pm

    When I was visiting Zimbabwe, I met a Kenyan UN worker (for OCHA) who had nothing but negative thing to say about Liberia: Liberians being lazy, even too lazy to grow their own vegetables and how this lady over here; Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was an utterly corrupt thief having made millions from shady diamond deals, robbing her country blind.

  42. Nn n

    July 18, 2020 at 8:12 pm

    Just one remark: every time I had big trouble for small things was because of a woman. For instance, I witnessed several times that police women are worse than police men (narrow minded and unable to understand the situation in its whole). I had heard that before but experiencing it really made me rethink the whole “women are loving and understanding persons”. That cliché is such a bullshit !
    Now that politician woman trying to leverage that cliché… ridiculous

  43. Nn n

    July 18, 2020 at 8:13 pm

    How can efficiency have a gender !?!?!!!

  44. Joan Bill

    July 18, 2020 at 9:14 pm

    I was almost going to get evicted and this web-site here saved me, *e z h i g h p a y .c o m*

  45. Dave Nguyen

    July 18, 2020 at 9:58 pm

    I’m disappointed in you TED.

  46. mostawesomedudeever1

    July 18, 2020 at 10:49 pm

    I’ve got a feeling the like dislike ratio is being heavily manipulated by YouTube as always.

  47. guywiththebottle

    July 18, 2020 at 10:55 pm

    Enough with the female centric videos please. If a man made that video with the title to go with it, it would cause an uproar. That is not the equality that these people are preaching.

  48. Lovetta Tugbeh

    July 19, 2020 at 12:07 am

    Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is a war criminal. She supported Charles Tayler to unseat a democratically elected President, Samuel Doe in her desperate quest for the presidency. More than 250,000 innocent citizens died, especially women and children the most vulnerable in society.
    We pray that JUSTICE will prevail for Ellen and her political criminals to face JUSTICE in Liberia. You can fool Americans but NOT Liberians who are your VICTIMS of WAR. WOE TO YOU WICKED WITCH. CURSE ON YOU AND YOUR ENTIRE GENERAL OF POLITICAL CRIMINALS. WE want justice in Liberia.

  49. Lovetta Tugbeh

    July 19, 2020 at 12:12 am

    Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, do not hide behind the shadow of DECENT WOMEN to refurbish your criminal image. You are a war criminal as reported by Liberia Truth and Reconciliation Commission who were responsible for investigating the root causes of the WAR…Your rightful place is behind bar NOT st #TED

  50. Northstar Borealis

    July 19, 2020 at 12:20 am

    Can someone please explain this moron false prophet brother werks?

  51. Malcolm Jones

    July 19, 2020 at 1:46 am

    More Identity politics. TED has become WOKE. Divided we fall, united we stand. ALL LIVES MATTER.

  52. Mthokozisi Langa

    July 19, 2020 at 4:07 am

    Evidence speaks against her, her self-praise is also a give away. She left Liberia at which state? An answer to the question is a determining factor on whether she did a good job.

  53. Jack You

    July 19, 2020 at 7:46 am

    This is sexist. Had a man said this everyone would be up in arms.

    • syd Worthington

      July 20, 2020 at 6:10 pm

      Men have been saying it for decades.

    • The Outlaw Torn

      July 20, 2020 at 9:18 pm

      @syd Worthington Please provide us with a link to the *TED* talk where a man is saying this.

      If the video exists, then we will denounce both videos as blatantly sexist.

  54. Kaushik Kurudi

    July 19, 2020 at 12:08 pm

    Lol. Bullshit.

  55. J

    July 19, 2020 at 12:29 pm

    FYI; There are a a lot of bots in the comments mining emotional reactions.

  56. Maurice M.

    July 19, 2020 at 2:56 pm

    Like Liberia is better of yet … 🙄 sure!

  57. Florian Huck

    July 19, 2020 at 4:27 pm

    Women stop wars but men prevent it from happening.

  58. Fernando Lopes

    July 19, 2020 at 4:52 pm

    0:29 – Applause and cheer, why? WHY? wHY? WhY? whY?

  59. Virgin_Mary _In_Islam

    July 19, 2020 at 5:28 pm

    Prophet Muhammad said : “O People, it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women, but they also have rights over you. Remember that you have taken them as your wives only under Allah’s trust and with His permission. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Do treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers. And it is your right that they do not make friends with any one of whom you do not approve, as well as never to be unchaste”

  60. The Forced Meme

    July 19, 2020 at 6:21 pm

    Women’s voting patterns would disagree with you

  61. abdulwedud omer

    July 19, 2020 at 7:40 pm

    absolutely that’s great message that send H.E. Ellen Johnson to the world women to work strongly and how to defeat the challenges facing the women throughout their journey to work strongly, to leadership and position. To change the Africa, to change the world.

  62. Kadidja Lucena

    July 19, 2020 at 11:20 pm

    Maravilhosa!

  63. Adam Quinn

    July 20, 2020 at 1:49 am

    Bahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahhaahahahahhahahahaaahhahaahahahaha

  64. James Rankin

    July 20, 2020 at 3:18 am

    Lol she spoke about the good from her viewpoint but what about the crime that also spiked and the human trafficking that she never spoke of to help the DEPT.

  65. Jasmine D

    July 20, 2020 at 4:15 am

    No real facts 🙁

  66. Aaron Lim

    July 20, 2020 at 4:52 am

    More women rules means more women being tempted by Satan. More women like Abraham’s wife Sarai bring no confidence to God.
    So make sure you have Christ heart before ruling everyone.

    • I Don't Have A Goddamn Name

      July 21, 2020 at 12:37 am

      What are you on about? I’m not religious but didn’t she leave with God’s blessing?

  67. Claire

    July 20, 2020 at 6:11 am

    I’m woman, I’m a feminist, I love women but having worked in all female environment I much MUCH prefer a balance of male and female energy!

  68. ReliantArms

    July 20, 2020 at 10:20 am

    Crook. She’s an effn crook.

  69. E-man R

    July 20, 2020 at 12:27 pm

    Bring the speed up to x1.25

  70. Fan Yang

    July 20, 2020 at 1:58 pm

    good talk!

  71. Rafal Molak

    July 20, 2020 at 2:58 pm

    Uhmmm, No….

  72. John Cortez

    July 20, 2020 at 3:21 pm

    She was then and will always be an absolute crook. So subtle in her approach, she allowed the desecration of the women in her country at whatever cost. Sold the females out to her soldiers to be raped, beaten, and thrown away. A complete manipulator and psychopath!! Read about her atrocities and how she turned a blind eye knowing full well what lay ahead for women.

  73. Vin ham

    July 20, 2020 at 6:40 pm

    I don’t want to add to the woke BS everybody is pointing out…

    but why the heck does she take 5-second pause every 4 words or so?

  74. A Commenter

    July 20, 2020 at 9:32 pm

    What have women lead us to sofar? other than more men investing in cosmetics

  75. A Commenter

    July 20, 2020 at 9:33 pm

    That title pisses me off

  76. Steve Fortuna

    July 20, 2020 at 10:11 pm

    A society that makes half its population breeding stock is destined for failure. America is turning women into brood mares with attacks on Roe V. Wade. If you can’t control what lies inside your own body, you are fundamentally a slave. Anti-choice is misogyny, pure and simple.

  77. Assanouan G’bado

    July 20, 2020 at 10:24 pm

    Affirmative 👏🏿

  78. Jamsheed Begum

    July 21, 2020 at 3:46 am

    👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👌😊👍 VERY GREAT

  79. Jamsheed Begum

    July 21, 2020 at 3:50 am

    GREAT LEADERSHIP 👍👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

  80. Homär Simpsön

    July 21, 2020 at 10:55 am

    if the headline would be correct, we would have women to lead countries since ages – reality proofed this to be wrong and can’t work – a good example how countries are ruined by women are germany and the EU – but keep your sexist faith (as a black woman you can say anything – at least not everybody takes you seriously though)

  81. Mighty power

    July 21, 2020 at 12:29 pm

    She also help to Destroyed Liberia by funding Rebel groups she was a big player in the Liberia Civil unrest Evil old lady acting like a hero.

  82. shikha singh

    July 21, 2020 at 4:53 pm

    After seeing this video, I have just realized that there is no female Prime minister of India after Indira Gandhi. It makes me feel ashamed. Literally no Female Prime minister after 1984.

  83. Inane

    July 21, 2020 at 10:58 pm

    Later TED

  84. Ella Kad

    July 22, 2020 at 12:13 am

    Give her credit she was pioneer and stood up for women.

  85. mike gonzo

    July 22, 2020 at 12:35 am

    The smell of freshly made sandwiches will guide all men to the la-z-boy for the football game

  86. steffie2310

    July 22, 2020 at 9:53 am

    I’m so sad about the attitude of commenting men on here. Why not listen to try to understand instead of listening to give hate an critique?

  87. Mitjitsu

    July 22, 2020 at 4:30 pm

    The vast majority of men are not in positions of power or influence whether it be in the political or corporate world. This is rich woman talk from someone whose purely in it for themselves.

  88. Youtuber

    July 23, 2020 at 12:43 pm

    Anakin said he will bring Freedom, justice and peace….. and result was one the worst tyranical regime in the galaxy… So… Boooooooooooo… u suck. go preach to a dumb audience coz no one her is buying your crap.

  89. Kai Mitto

    July 23, 2020 at 5:45 pm

    The 3 second pauses between words were too loud. I haven’t heard a thing

  90. Jumbo Palumbo

    July 23, 2020 at 8:48 pm

    She of course means marxist progressive women. When a woman like Sarah Palin, Golda Maeir, Margaret Thatcher runs the show the marxists come out of the woodwork to destroy said woman.

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