8 September 2007
Monrovia — Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf made Forbes Most Powerful women's list for the second year running, but fell 49 places to close out the top 100 at Number 100 in a list released Friday.
Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel tops Forbes magazine's list of the world's 100 most powerful women for the second year in a row, while Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice also slipped - to fourth from second last year.
Forbes annual ranking placed the then-newly elected President at 51 in the early days after her triumph in 2006, but noted then that despite her convincing win over popular football legend George Weah in November 2005, Johnson-Sirleaf, 67, faced the challenge of putting her country back together after a 14-year civil war that left the capital Monrovia in near ruins. Philippines President Gloria Arroyo replaced Sirleaf at 51.
Johnson-Sirleaf also faced the challenge of dealing with government mismanagement that has all but destroyed Liberia's economy. Johnson-Sirleaf was successful in turning former dictator Charles Taylor over the International Court for trial, which is already underway.
Sanctions against timber exports - exports used by the previous government to fund its war campaigns - have been lifted. Sirleaf has made several trips to the U.S. and other European and African nations to foster trade in other sectors.
Despite Johnson-Sirleaf's efforts, Forbes reported last year that many Liberians remained impatient, calling for faster reform. "No doubt the "Iron Lady," as Sirleaf is known, will meet their challenge.
Being listed among the top 100 most powerful women in the world for 2007 by Forbes Magazine," Forbes said in 2006.
In listing Sirleaf at number 100, one year later, the magazine cited the efforts by the first female president of an African nation to get the war-torn country back on track and on the international investment radar screen have been fruitful.
"IMF named Liberia one of four post-conflict countries to receive additional financial aid and technical assistance, including a possible cancellation of its $800 million late payment to the world lender," according to Forbes.
Another African female leader, Luisa Diogo, Prime Minister of Mozambique, who made her mark as an anti-poverty and health advocate is ranked 89. "Diogo is waging a battle to stop the HIV/AIDS epidemic affecting Mozambique, where 16% of the country's 20 million citizens have contracted the disease, costing the nation 1% of its GDP every year.
She recently spent time with Chinese business leaders to promote technology investment in sectors like agriculture, which employs 70% of the population, but only contributes 30% of GDP.
Diogo lately has focused on gender equality and women's empowerment through a recently launched "Network of Women Ministers and Parliamentarians," which organizes current and former government."
The magazine says several other countries, including China, have cancelled bilateral debts. "Bans against timber and diamond trades have been lifted and investors are returning.
In the spring, African-American billionaire Robert Johnson led a delegation to Liberia as part of his $30M loan program to assist Liberian-owned businesses; meanwhile billionaire Lakshmi Mittal's Mittal Steel had its iron ore-mining program approved by parliament.
But the cloud wrought by former dictator Charles Taylor still remains.
In June, the UN Security Council called for a panel of financial and diamond experts to renew investigations of whether UN sanctions against Liberia are being broken after discovering the former dictator, now under arrest at the Hague, may still have access to monies. UN peacekeepers will remain in the country through next year."
The magazine cited this year's number one, Merkel for her work getting leaders at the Group of Eight summit to agree to goals for cutting greenhouse gas emissions and persuading European Union leaders to get moving on a treaty to replace their failed constitution.
China's vice premier Wu Yi was 2, and Ho Ching of Singapore, chief executive of Temasek Holdings, was third ahead of Rice. Several other female heads of state or government made the list, including Britain Queen Elizabeth at 23, New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark at 38, Finland's President Tarja Halonen at 50 and Philippines President Gloria Arroyo at 51. Sen. Hillary Clinton was 25 and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was 26, while first lady Laura Bush was 60th.
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