Worldfocus on Africa’s first elected female president

Fractured by a 14-year civil war, Liberia is trying to pick up the pieces, facing staggering unemployment and lackluster infrastructure.

Halfway into her first term, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf — an economist educated at Harvard University who won the presidency at age 67 — is leading that recovery.

As Africa’s first elected female head of state, she has taken on corruption, gotten some of Liberia’s debt canceled and rebuilt the army with the help of the U.S.

Lynn Sherr and  Megan Thompson of GlobalPost partner Worldfocus report on one extraordinary woman trying to remake life in war-torn Liberia.

Tune in for Worldfocus’ four-part signature series on Liberia airing the week of April 13.

In this extended interview, Sirleaf discusses the position of women in Liberia, the country’s recovery and relations with the U.S. 

(Worldfocus is a nightly news program and website that fills the void in international news coverage and informs American viewers about the relevance of international events.)