Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center

Happy 88th Birthday, @MaEllenSirleaf!

Today, the @EJSCenter celebrates the 88th birthday of our founder, H.E. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

As Africa's first democratically elected woman head of state, Liberia’s first woman President and a @NobelPrize Laureate, she broke barriers that many believed could not be broken. But her legacy is not only in what she achieved. It lives in every woman she has mentored, inspired, encouraged and championed into leadership. Happy birthday, Madam! Thank you for showing us the way.

@MaEllenSirleaf has been named one of 15 Icons in the @forbesafrica 15th Anniversary Issue, which honours the leaders who have shaped the continent over the past 15 years.
Congratulations, Madam, on this well-deserved recognition.

Read the feature: forbesafrica.com/icons/2026/ell…

Image courtesy of Forbes Africa

Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri is now Morocco's Prime Minister, 1st woman to hold the role, 3rd woman to lead a government in the Arab world, after Tunisia's Najla Bouden and Sara Zaafarani. We wrote about Morocco's path to this moment just days before it happened. You can still read our original piece, updated with this development on our website: ejscenter.org/ballots-barrie…

Image courtesy of Al Jazeera

We're Hiring: Director of Research, Knowledge & Archives to lead our research, knowledge production, archives, oral history, and exhibition work, strengthening our position as a Pan-African knowledge institution focused on African women's public leadership.

This senior leader will oversee our flagship State of Women's Leadership in Africa report, the expansion of our Oral History Program, the EJS Center Data Hub, and the development of exhibitions for the Presidential Library at the African Women's House.

What we're looking for:
- Advanced degree in History, African Studies, Political Science, Public Policy, Gender/Women's Studies, Archival Studies, Library and Information Science, or related field (Ph.D. preferred)
- 7+ years of progressively responsible experience in research, archives, policy, or knowledge management, including leading complex projects or teams
- Demonstrated experience producing high-quality research, policy reports, or knowledge products, with additional experience with archival collections, digitization, or oral history
Location: Monrovia, Liberia
Applications are open until filled. Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and CV via our job board: ejscenter.bamboohr.com/careers/48

In 1993, Morocco's parliament had 2 women. By 2026, 96 women in parliament, and in 2 days, the country will vote to elect 395 members of the House of Representatives, with 60 seats reserved for women by law, putting female representation at roughly 24% of the legislature. But here's the real question our latest blog digs into: do reserved seats for representation actually translate into influence for women leaders? Or does it stop at the seat count?

Read more on our website: Ballots, Barriers, and Breakthroughs: Women in Morocco's 2026 Elections. ejscenter.org/ballots-barrie…