H.E. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf: How women will lead us to freedom, justice and peace | TED

Translator: Alba Gil Vicente Reviewer: Xusto Rodriguez

I was the first woman president

Fun a primeira muller presidenta

of an African nation.

dunha nación africana.

And I do believe more countries ought to try that.

E coido que máis países deberían probar a experiencia.

(Laughter)

(Risas)

(Applause and cheers)

(Aplausos e ovación)

Once the glass ceiling has been broken,

Unha vez que o teito de cristal escachou

it can never be put back together --

xa non se pode arranxar...

however one would try to do that.

por moito que se intente.

When I assumed the presidency of Liberia

Cando asumín a presidencia de Liberia

in January 2006,

en xaneiro de 2006,

we faced the tremendous challenges of a post-conflict nation:

tivemos que enfrontarnos ó gran desafío que é unha nación despois dun conflito:

collapsed economy,

economía colapsada,

destroyed infrastructure,

infraestruturas destruídas,

dysfunctional institutions,

institucións disfuncionais,

enormous debt,

débeda descomunal,

bloated civil service.

administración pública sobredimensionada.

We also faced

Tamén tivemos que enfrontarnos

the challenges of those left behind.

ós desafíos dos que quedaran esquecidos.

The primary victims of all civil wars:

As principais vítimas de todas as guerras civís:

women and children.

mulleres e infancia.

On my first day in office,

O meu primeiro día no cargo,

I was excited ...

estaba emocionada...

and I was exhausted.

e estaba esgotada.

It had been a very long climb

Fora un ascenso moi longo

to where I was.

até chegar a onde estaba.

Women had been those who suffered most

As mulleres foron as que máis sufriron

in our civil conflict,

durante o noso conflito civil,

and women had been the ones to resolve it.

e tamén foron as encargadas de solucionalo.

Our history records

A nosa historia fala

many women of strength and action.

de moitas mulleres fortes e con iniciativa.

A President of the United Nations General Assembly,

Unha presidenta da Asemblea Xeral das Nacións Unidas,

a renowned circuit court judge,

unha xuíza de sona do Tribunal de Circuíto,

a president of the University of Liberia.

unha presidenta da Universidade de Liberia.

I knew that I had to form

Sabía que tiña que formar

a very strong team

un equipo ben forte

with the capacity to address

e con capacidade de enfrontar

the challenges of our nation.

os desafíos da nosa nación.

And I wanted to put women in all top positions.

E quería que todos os altos cargos fosen mulleres,

But I knew that was not possible.

mais sabía que iso non era posible.

And so I settled for putting them in strategic positions.

Así que me conformei con poñelas en postos estratéxicos.

I recruited a very able economist from the World Bank

Recrutei unha economista moi competente do Banco Mundial

to be our minister of finance,

para que fose a nosa ministra de Finanzas,

to lead our debt-relief effort.

e liderase os nosos esforzos por reducir a débeda.

Another to be the minister of foreign affairs,

Outra para que fose ministra de Asuntos Exteriores,

to reactivate our bilateral and multilateral relationships.

para reactivar as nosas relacións bilaterais e multilaterais.

The first woman chief of police

A primeira muller xefa da Policía

to address the fears of our women,

para abordar os medos das nosas mulleres,

who had suffered so much during the civil war.

que tanto sufriran durante a guerra civil.

Another to be the minister of gender,

Outra para que fose ministra de Asuntos de Xénero,

to be able to ensure the protection and the participation of women.

para asegurar a protección e a participación das mulleres.

Over time,

Co tempo seguíronlles

the minister of justice,

a ministra de Xustiza,

the minister of public works,

a ministra de Obras Públicas,

the minister of agriculture,

a ministra de Agricultura,

the minister of commerce and industry.

a ministra de Comercio e Industria.

Participation in leadership

Esta participación en postos directivos

was unprecedented in my administration.

non tiña precedentes na Administración.

And although I knew

E aínda que eu sabía

that there were not enough women with the experience

que non había mulleres abondas con experiencia

to form an all-women cabinet --

para formar un gabinete só de mulleres,

as I wanted --

como eu quería,

I settled to appoint numerous women

decidín nomear un gran número de mulleres

in junior ministerial positions,

para cargos ministeriais secundarios:

as executives,

como executivas,

as administrators,

como administradoras,

in local government,

nos gobernos locais,

in diplomatic service,

no servizo diplomático,

in the judiciary,

no poder xudicial,

in public institutions.

ou nas institucións públicas.

It worked.

Funcionou.

At the end of 2012,

A finais de 2012,

our economic growth had peaked at nine percent.

o noso crecemento económico alcanzara o seu máximo cun 9%,

Our infrastructure was being reconstructed at a very fast pace.

reconstruïamos as nosas infraestruturas a un ritmo acelerado,

Our institutions were functioning again.

as nosas institucións volvían funcionar.

Our debt of 4.9 billion

A nosa débeda de 4.9 mil millóns

had been largely canceled.

fora practicamente anulada.

We had good relationships with the International Monetary Fund,

Tiñamos boas relacións co Fondo Monetario Internacional,

the World Bank,

co Banco Mundial,

the African Development Bank.

e co Banco Africano de Desenvolvemento.

We also had good working relationships

Tamén tiñamos boas relacións de traballo

with all our sister African countries

con todas as nacións africanas irmás

and many nations all over the world.

e con moitas outras nacións de todo o mundo.

Our women could sleep peacefully at night again,

As nosas mulleres podían durmir tranquilas polas noites,

without fear.

sen medo.

Our children were smiling again,

A nosa infancia sorría de novo,

as I promised them during my first inaugural address.

como eu lles prometera durante o meu discurso de investidura.

The reputation and credibility

A reputación e a credibilidade

of our nation,

da nosa nación,

lost in the many years of conflict,

perdidas tras tantos anos de conflito

were restored.

recuperáranse.

But progress is never guaranteed.

Mais o progreso nunca está garantido.

And in our legislature, in my first term,

E na nosa asemblea lexislativa, durante o meu primeiro mandato,

women were 14 percent.

as mulleres eran o 14%.

In the second term,

Durante o segundo mandato

it declined to eight percent,

diminuíron ó 8%,

because the environment was increasingly toxic.

porque a contorna era cada vez máis tóxica.

I had my fair shares of criticism and toxicity.

Eu levei a miña parte das críticas e da toxicidade.

Nobody is perfect.

Ninguén é perfecto.

But there's nothing more predictable

Pero non hai nada máis predicible

than a strong woman

que unha muller forte

who wants to change things,

que quere cambiar as cousas,

who's brave to speak out,

que ten coraxe para alzar a voz,

who's bold in action.

que é ousada nas súas accións.

But I'm OK with the criticism.

Acepto as críticas.

I know why I made the decisions I made,

As miñas decisións teñen un porqué

and I'm happy with the results.

e estou satisfeita cos resultados.

But that's why more women leaders are needed.

E por iso precisamos máis mulleres dirixentes.

For there will always be those who will tear us down,

Porque sempre haberá quen nos queira tirar polo chan,

who will tear us apart,

quen nos queira destruír

because they want the status quo to remain.

porque quere manter o *statu quo*.

Although sub-Saharan Africa has had major breakthroughs

A África subsahariana realizou importantes avances

in women's leadership and participation,

no liderado feminino e na participación das mulleres,

particularly in the legislature --

especialmente na asemblea lexislativa

in parliament, as it's called --

--no Parlamento, como lle chaman--

so many women,

tantas mulleres

50 percent and over, one of our nations,

máis do 50% nunha das nosas nacións,

well over 60 percent, the best in the world --

máis do 60%, a mellor do mundo...

but we know that's not enough.

pero sabemos que non é suficiente.

While we must be very thankful

Malia que debemos estar moi agradecidas

and applaud the progress we have made,

e aplaudir o progreso que fixemos,

we know that there is much more work to be done.

sabemos que aínda queda moito por facer.

The work will have to address the lingering vestiges

Teremos que enfrontarnos ós vestixios persistentes

of structural ...

e estruturais

something against women.

do que sexa que hai contra as mulleres.

In too many places,

En demasiados lugares,

political parties

os partidos políticos

are based on patronage,

están baseados no clientelismo,

patriarchy,

no patriarcado,

misogyny

e na misoxinia

that try to keep women

e tratan de manter as mulleres

from their rightful places,

afastadas dos seus lexítimos lugares,

that shut them out

para deixalas fóra

from taking leadership positions.

dos postos de liderado.

Too often, women face --

Con demasiada frecuencia as mulleres

while the best performers,

--malia teren mellor rendemento,

while equal or better in competence --

malia seren igual ou máis competentes--

unequal pay.

enfróntanse á desigualdade salarial.

And so we must continue to work

Así que debemos continuar a traballar

to change things.

para cambiar as cousas.

We must be able to change the stereotyping.

Debemos ser quen de cambiar os estereotipos.

We must be able to ensure

Debemos loitar contra

that those structural barriers

esas barreiras estruturais

that have kept women

que impiden que as mulleres

from being able to have the equity they rightfully deserve.

sexan tratadas coa equidade que merecen.

And we must also work with men.

E tamén debemos traballar cos homes.

Because increasingly,

Porque, cada vez máis,

there is recognition

recoñecemos que a plena equidade de xénero

that full gender equity

will ensure a stronger economy,

asegurará una economía máis forte,

a more developed nation,

unha nación máis desenvolvida,

a more peaceful nation.

e máis pacífica.

And that is why we must continue to work.

E por iso debemos continuar traballando.

And that is why we're partners.

E por iso somos socios.

I will be launching a Center for Women and Development

Inaugurarei un Centro para as Mulleres e o Desenvolvemento

that will bring together --

que unirá--

(Applause)

(Aplausos)

women who have started

a mulleres comprometidas

and are committed to their joining of leadership.

que van de camiño a converterse en líderes,

With women who have excelled

con mulleres que destacaron

and advanced in leadership together.

e avanzaron no liderado.

Xuntas,

Over a 10-year period,

durante un período de 10 anos,

we strongly believe

temos a crenza firme

that we will create this wave of women

de que crearemos unha ondada de mulleres

who are prepared to take,

preparadas para asumir,

unabashedly,

sen vergoña

intentional leadership and influence

e intencionalmente, o liderado e a influencia

throughout society.

en todos os ámbitos sociais.

This is why --

Por iso --

(Laughs)

(Risas)

at 81, I cannot retire.

con 81 anos, non me podo retirar.

(Applause and laughter)

(Aplausos e risas)

(Applause and cheers)

(Aplausos e ovación)

Women are working for change

As mulleres están a traballar polo cambio

in Africa.

en África.

Women are working for change

As mulleres están a traballar polo cambio

throughout the world.

en todo o mundo.

I will be with them,

Eu estarei con elas,

and one of them,

e serei unha delas,

forever.

para sempre.

(Applause)

(Aplausos)

Thank you for listening.

Grazas pola vosa atención.

Go out and change the world.

Saíde e cambiade o mundo.

(Applause and cheers)

(Aplausos e ovación)