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

翻译人员: Lark Yu 校对人员: Yolanda Zhang

I was the first woman president

我是非洲国家的

of an African nation.

首位女性总统。

And I do believe more countries ought to try that.

我认为，应当有更多国家 尝试让女性担任领导。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

(Applause and cheers)

（掌声与欢呼声）

Once the glass ceiling has been broken,

一旦这种无形的屏障被打破，

it can never be put back together --

形势则势不可挡——

however one would try to do that.

而女性则可以崭露头角。

When I assumed the presidency of Liberia

当我在 2006 年 1 月

in January 2006,

担任利比亚总统的时候，

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

作为一个刚刚结束国内冲突的国家， 我们面临着巨大的挑战：

collapsed economy,

处于崩溃边缘的经济、

destroyed infrastructure,

毁坏殆尽的基础设施、

dysfunctional institutions,

丧失效力的制度、

enormous debt,

巨额的债务

bloated civil service.

以及臃肿的行政管理体系。

We also faced

我们也面临着

the challenges of those left behind.

落后群体带来的诸多挑战。

The primary victims of all civil wars:

作为内战的主要受害者：

women and children.

妇女和儿童。

On my first day in office,

在我上任的第一天，

I was excited ...

我很兴奋......

and I was exhausted.

但同时也精疲力竭，

It had been a very long climb

这是一段

to where I was.

漫长而艰辛的道路。

Women had been those who suffered most

女性是在内战冲突中

in our civil conflict,

遭受苦难最多的群体，

and women had been the ones to resolve it.

同时女性也是有能力 解决这一问题的群体。

Our history records

我们的史料记载了

many women of strength and action.

许多女性的努力和行动——

A President of the United Nations General Assembly,

联合国大会的一名主席，

a renowned circuit court judge,

一名著名的巡回法院法官，

a president of the University of Liberia.

一位利比里亚大学校长。

I knew that I had to form

我知道自己必须打造

a very strong team

一个强有力的团队，

with the capacity to address

能够克服我们国家

the challenges of our nation.

所面临的挑战。

And I wanted to put women in all top positions.

而且我希望女性们身居要位。

But I knew that was not possible.

但我知道那不太可能。

And so I settled for putting them in strategic positions.

因此我决定把她们放在 具有战略意义的岗位。

I recruited a very able economist from the World Bank

我从世界银行招募了 一位很能干的经济学家

to be our minister of finance,

担任金融部长，

to lead our debt-relief effort.

领导我们的债务减免工作；

Another to be the minister of foreign affairs,

另一位女性担任外交部部长，

to reactivate our bilateral and multilateral relationships.

重启我们的双边与多边外交关系；

The first woman chief of police

首位女警察局长

to address the fears of our women,

来安抚那些女性群体的恐惧情绪，

who had suffered so much during the civil war.

她们在内战中备受煎熬；

Another to be the minister of gender,

还邀请了一位担任性别部长，

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

旨在确保女性获得保护和参与权。

Over time,

后来，

the minister of justice,

我还任命了女性司法部长、

the minister of public works,

公共事务部长、

the minister of agriculture,

农业部长

the minister of commerce and industry.

和工商部长。

Participation in leadership

国家领导权的女性参与度

was unprecedented in my administration.

在我的任期中达到了前所未有的高度。

And although I knew

尽管我知道

that there were not enough women with the experience

有相关经验的女性少之又少，

to form an all-women cabinet --

不足以组成全女性内阁——

as I wanted --

正如我设想的一样——

I settled to appoint numerous women

我决定提名大量女性

in junior ministerial positions,

担任各类初级的部长职位，

as executives,

诸如行政领导

as administrators,

管理者，

in local government,

让她们的身影遍及地方政府、

in diplomatic service,

外交服务部门、

in the judiciary,

司法机构、

in public institutions.

公共服务机构。

It worked.

该举措已被证明是行之有效的。

At the end of 2012,

截至 2012 年年底，

our economic growth had peaked at nine percent.

我们的经济增速达到了 9%。

Our infrastructure was being reconstructed at a very fast pace.

基础设施以极快速度得以重建。

Our institutions were functioning again.

我们的政府机构恢复了正常运转。

Our debt of 4.9 billion

我们高达 49 亿的债务

had been largely canceled.

被大幅减免。

We had good relationships with the International Monetary Fund,

我们和国际货币基金组织（IMF）、

the World Bank,

世界银行

the African Development Bank.

和非洲发展银行 都建立了良好的关系。

We also had good working relationships

我们同时与非洲姊妹国家，

with all our sister African countries

以及全世界的许多国家

and many nations all over the world.

建立了健康的合作发展关系。

Our women could sleep peacefully at night again,

我们的女性朋友们 又能在夜晚安然入睡，

without fear.

而不再感到恐惧了。

Our children were smiling again,

我们的孩子们笑颜可以再次绽放，

as I promised them during my first inaugural address.

一如我在就职演讲中所承诺的一样。

The reputation and credibility

我们国家

of our nation,

在连年的冲突内战中

lost in the many years of conflict,

消失殆尽的声誉和信用，

were restored.

也得以修复和重建。

But progress is never guaranteed.

而发展进步却从未获得承诺和保证。

And in our legislature, in my first term,

但在我首届任期中的立法机构里，

women were 14 percent.

女性席位占比 14% 。

In the second term,

而在第二届任期，

it declined to eight percent,

女性占比减少到了 8% ，

because the environment was increasingly toxic.

由于机构作风越来越腐化，

I had my fair shares of criticism and toxicity.

当然我有相当一部分责任，

Nobody is perfect.

毕竟人无完人。

But there's nothing more predictable

然而更为确定和可预期的是，

than a strong woman

一名强悍的女性

who wants to change things,

希望去改变过去的旧有事物，

who's brave to speak out,

敢于发声，

who's bold in action.

并无畏地展开行动。

But I'm OK with the criticism.

而我可以接受批评，

I know why I made the decisions I made,

也清楚自己做出决定的原因所在，

and I'm happy with the results.

也对结果感到欣喜。

But that's why more women leaders are needed.

但这也是需要 更多女性领袖的原因。

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

因为总是会有对我们 提出质疑的人们，

who will tear us apart,

他们会摧毁我们，

because they want the status quo to remain.

因为他们希望维持现状。

Although sub-Saharan Africa has had major breakthroughs

尽管沙哈拉以南非洲已经在 女性领导权和参与性方面

in women's leadership and participation,

取得重大突破，

particularly in the legislature --

尤其是在立法权上——

in parliament, as it's called --

在议会中，就像倡导的那样——

so many women,

如此众多的女性，

50 percent and over, one of our nations,

半数或更多，民族之林中的一个，

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

有超过 60%， 世界上表现最亮眼——

but we know that's not enough.

但我们知道这还不够。

While we must be very thankful

但我们依然非常感谢，

and applaud the progress we have made,

并为我们取得的进步鼓掌欢庆，

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

我们清楚要做的工作依然很多。

The work will have to address the lingering vestiges

要解决依然存在的结构性

of structural ...

遗留问题......

something against women.

一些歧视或不利于女性的问题。

In too many places,

在很多地方，

political parties

政党

are based on patronage,

极度依赖赞助资金，

patriarchy,

男权主义

misogyny

和厌女观

that try to keep women

都在极力阻止

from their rightful places,

女性占据的位置，

that shut them out

并将她们隔离在

from taking leadership positions.

领导岗位之外。

Too often, women face --

通常情况下， 即使是表现优异的女性，

while the best performers,

拥有同等能力甚至能力更强，

while equal or better in competence --

也面临着

unequal pay.

同工不同酬的问题。

And so we must continue to work

因此我们需要继续努力

to change things.

改变这样的状况。

We must be able to change the stereotyping.

我们要改变这种刻板印象。

We must be able to ensure

要尽可能确保移除

that those structural barriers

这种阻碍了她们

that have kept women

理应享受的平权待遇的

from being able to have the equity they rightfully deserve.

结构性障碍。

And we must also work with men.

同时我们需要和男性合作。

Because increasingly,

因为我们越来越能

there is recognition

达成共识，

that full gender equity

即全面的性别平等

will ensure a stronger economy,

将带来更强健的经济发展、

a more developed nation,

更繁荣的国家，

a more peaceful nation.

以及更和平稳定的国家。

And that is why we must continue to work.

这就是我们一定要继续努力的原因，

And that is why we're partners.

也是我们需要合作伙伴的原因。

I will be launching a Center for Women and Development

我将成立一个妇女与发展中心

that will bring together --

并联合——

(Applause)

（掌声）

women who have started

那些开始和致力于

and are committed to their joining of leadership.

集结领导力的女性，

With women who have excelled

那些在领导力方面

and advanced in leadership together.

有着更加出色表现的女性。

Over a 10-year period,

我们坚信，

we strongly believe

在十年内，

that we will create this wave of women

我们将掀起一次浪潮，

who are prepared to take,

而推动这一浪潮的， 正是那些做好准备、

unabashedly,

勇敢无畏，

intentional leadership and influence

并在全社会有意识的

发挥领导作用和影响力的女性。

throughout society.

This is why --

这也是为什么——

(Laughs)

（笑声）

at 81, I cannot retire.

尽管已是耄耋之年， 我依然不能退休。

(Applause and laughter)

（掌声和笑声）

(Applause and cheers)

（掌声和欢呼声）

Women are working for change

在非洲，

女性正在为变革而努力。

in Africa.

Women are working for change

全世界的女性

throughout the world.

都在为变革而努力。

I will be with them,

我会永远

and one of them,

与她们并肩，

forever.

共同战斗。

(Applause)

（掌声）

Thank you for listening.

感谢聆听。

Go out and change the world.

走出去改变世界吧。

(Applause and cheers)

（掌声和欢呼声）