Part of "Race, Diversity, and the Learning Community series Blackness Without Borders"

International Women’s Day is a global celebration of all the extraordinary achievements of women and the crucial role they play in their communities and beyond. This past year we have witnessed female leaders overcome adversity and being praised for their effective handling of the Covid-19 pandemic; Kamala Harris broke a glass ceiling as the first female, Black, and South Asian American Vice President; women footballers in Brazil and Sierra Leone received equal pay; and many more achievements.

Please join former President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, in conversation with Vice Chancellor Mariët Westermann, for a discussion on the importance of having women in leadership positions to catalyze social change, women seeking to push boundaries and challenge the status quo, and President Sirleaf’s achievements in rebuilding a war-torn nation and advancing sustainable development in Liberia.

Opening Remarks
Arlie Petters, Provost of NYU Abu Dhabi

Speaker
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa’s First Elected Female President, Former President of Liberia, and Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize

Moderated by
Mariët Westermann, Vice Chancellor of NYU Abu Dhabi 

Introduction by
Nawal Ali, NYUAD Student, B.A. Social Research and Public Policy, Class of 2021

In collaboration with 

Office of the Vice Chancellor; Office of Inclusion and Equity; NYU Abu Dhabi Institute; Humanities Research Fellowship for the Study of the Arab World; History Program; Literature & Creative Writing Program; African Studies Seminar Series; Office of Alumni Relations; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee (DEIC), and White&Case