President of Liberia Speaks Out Against Violence Against Women

Yesterday, the president of Liberia, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, appeared on the Tavis Smiley Show.  President Johnson-Sirleaf is the first woman to ever be elected as a head of state to an African nation. She is also a survivor of domestic violence, and in her new autobiography, This Child Will Be Great, she chose to write about that violence.

In the video below, she explains that decision:

A partial transcript, provided by PBS:

“We must do more to stop domestic violence—violence against women—which is something that pertains to many African societies and, I think, world societies today…Hopefully this brings about some consciousness, even on the part of men, to know that there is a different way that one can raise children, that one can grow up, that a wife is not a subject, a wife is not an object of abuse….Things are changing, I hope this book this book will contribute to the consolidation of that change that brings gender equality, in families, in homes, and in nations.”

I think that any woman who speaks out about intimate partner violence, in a world where such violence is still so heavily stigmatized and regularly blamed on women, is immensely brave. I think this is especially the case when the woman in question is a powerful head of state — and not even past, but present — and likely to be even more heavily criticized as a result.

Her story does, as she argues, show what those of us here already knew: if it can happen to her, it can happen to anyone. I can only hope that her choice to tell her story will help to erase some of the stigma, encourage more women to seek help and speak out, and promote policies which make such violence a far less common occurrence in the first place.