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Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is the 24th and current president of Liberia. She was the world’s first black female president and Africa’s first female head of state. In 2011, she shared a Nobel Peace Prize with Leymah Gbowee of Liberia and Tawakkol Karman of Yemen “for their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights to full participation in peace-building work.”
During Sirleaf’s time in office, she vowed to reduce Liberia’s national debt. When she enter office, in 2006, that debt was at US$4.9 billion, by June 2010 that debt had been completely relieved. She has done everything in her power to repair Liberia’s foreign relations and “promote national peace, security, unity and reconciliation.” While also speaking out about and working to protect LGBT nonvirights.
Besides being amazing for the country, Sirleaf was also listed as the 83rd most powerful women in the world by Forbes as of 2016. And her niece is Marietta Sirleaf, aka Donna from Parks and Recreation.