By Foday Moriba Conteh

Africa’s first elected female president, Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, delivered a stirring keynote address at the Nalafem Summit held on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, at the Brookfields Hotel in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

Speaking as Guest of Honor, the former Liberian President emphasized that true power is not found in titles or positions but in service, purpose and the legacy one leaves behind.

“I sleep well at night,” she said candidly. “Not because there are no challenges, but because I know I have done no wrong. Yet, as I lay down, I still wonder: what’s the next target? What young girls are suffering in silence? What more can we do to transform lives?”

The summit, hosted by Nalafem under the theme: “From Representation to Power: Women Leading in Crisis and Peace”, brought together 100 female leaders from across Africa including Ministers, Parliamentarians, youth activists and survivors of conflict and gender-based violence.

In an intimate conversation with Aya Chebbi, the Tunisian-born Founder and President of Nalafem, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf discussed the courage it takes to lead, particularly as a woman. “Courage,” she said, “is the ability to stay the course even when you’re the only woman in the room. It’s seeing barriers and choosing to rise above them.”

She urged women to remain unapologetically themselves. “Be a woman. Stand tall in that identity. You don’t have to change who you are to be accepted. In fact, when you own your values, you command respect.”

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf reflected on Liberia’s Ebola crisis. “Cremation was not a Liberian tradition,” she said solemnly, “but it was a necessary choice to stop the spread of the disease. It was deeply painful and culturally unpopular but leadership sometimes demands difficult decisions to save lives.”

She also emphasized that women express power differently. “When I assumed office, I didn’t feel powerful. I felt responsible to rebuild a nation, to restore hope, to educate former child soldiers and to mend a broken society. Power is service. That’s what many don’t understand.”

The former President called on current leaders to prepare the next generation and to “exit with grace” when the time comes. “Progress may be slow, but it is happening. Today, more women can stand up and say, ‘I have a voice.’ Even in rural or traditionally conservative communities, women are breaking barriers.”

She urged women leaders to reach back and uplift others. “If you're at the top and don’t look back to bring someone with you, you’ll find yourself alone and your leadership incomplete.”

To young women aspiring to lead, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf offered sobering but empowering advice: “Power will not always be recognized in you the same way it is in a man. But power with purpose changes things. Don’t chase power for power’s sake. Earn it. Own it. And use it to create a legacy that lifts others.”

She concluded with a rallying call: “Africa must unite. By 2050, we must be an equal partner on the global stage. We must take our place and speak for ourselves.”

Also contributing to the summit via video, H.E. Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and a Nalafem Champion, described 2025 as a pivotal year for accelerating global progress toward gender equality. “Women are no longer asking for a seat at the table,” she declared. “They are creating new tables more diverse, inclusive and transformational.”

She called on women to remain bold, united and steadfast in shaping the future.

Speaking during the opening of the summit, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, Mayor of Freetown Municipality, shared a deeply personal journey underscoring her steadfast commitment to community service and crisis leadership. She recounted founding a children’s trust during Sierra Leone’s civil war in 1999 and returning home to fight Ebola in 2014, describing how moments of crisis compelled her to turn concern into decisive action. “The transition from concern to action is crucial,”

Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr said, emphasizing that true leadership is born of empathy and courage despite personal sacrifice.

Reflecting on her tenure as Mayor, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr spoke passionately about shifting Freetown’s development agenda beyond rebuilding infrastructure toward transforming lives. With her renewed vision, “Transform Freetown: Transforming Lives,” Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr aims to create 120,000 decent jobs for women and youth by 2028, prioritizing empowerment and community impact. “When women lead, we don’t diminish opportunities; we create new ones and enrich what already exists,” Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr asserted. She also addressed the persistent barriers women face in leadership and urged young women to believe in themselves and claim their rightful place in shaping Africa’s future. “Our leadership is an act of faith, service to God and to our people. We must claim our rightful space with self-belief, competence and perseverance,” Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr declared.

The Nalafem Summit, convened by the Nalafem Collective and supported by the Mayor of Freetown, Her Worship Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr OBE, continues to serve as a powerful platform for both emerging and established women leaders to reflect, strategize and inspire a new era of feminist leadership across Africa.

Day two of the summit featured a high-level panel discussion under the theme: “Opening the Learning Village Mentorship & Sponsorship: Building a Pipeline of Women Leaders.” The session was moderated by Dr. Syeda Re’em Hussain, Advocacy and Programs Lead at Nalafem, and brought together prominent voices in women’s leadership and empowerment, including:

- Lesego Otlhabanye (Botswana), Program Manager for Governance, African Leadership Academy


- Dalree De Lange (South Africa), Senior Programme Officer, Graça Machel Trust


- Serah Makka (Nigeria), Executive Director for Africa, ONE Campaign


- Baindu Massaquoi (Sierra Leone), Programme Specialist, UN Women

The summit, held under the theme “From Representation to Power: Women Leading in Crisis & Peace,” focuses on advancing the leadership of African women beyond tokenistic participation toward meaningful political, social and economic influence.

With participants drawn from across the continent, the gathering galvanized a new generation of transformative women leaders. The summit reinforced a bold call to action centering mentorship, cross-border collaboration and purpose-driven leadership as the key to building a resilient, inclusive future for Africa. https://thecalabashnewspaper.com/ellen-johnson-sirleaf-graces-nalafem-summit-in-freetown-urges-women-to-lead-with-purpose-and-courage/