In Sub-Saharan Africa, women only comprise 24% of cabinet ministers and 23% of parliament members. The Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development (EJS Center) was founded on the belief of the power of women to catalyse change across Africa, with a focus on gender parity in public service. The EJS Center will unleash the African continent’s greatest untapped power and amplify the voice of women and girls through a unique blend of programming, advocacy, archival research and museum exhibitions.
We were seeking an entrepreneurial and ambitious leader to help shape the future for women and girls in Africa, working closely with Madam Sirleaf and a high profile Board. The appointee would spend the majority of their time in Monrovia, together with relationship building in the US and Europe, so our search focused on African diaspora in the latter two geographies as well as Francophone Africa. We targeted women with proven leadership experience at international level, experience of working in a start-up environment, and excellence in driving high-quality programs and engaging with a wide range of high-level stakeholders across sectors – including at ministerial level.
Dr. Ophelia Weeks was appointed to the position and was previously President of the University of Liberia. During this time, she was also Deputy Chair of the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Africa. Dr. Weeks returned to Monrovia after a long and impressive career in the United States, mostly at Florida International University, and wants to create an environment for young women where they think they can conquer the world, leading to an equal contribution to the growth and development of Liberia and beyond.