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

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Melody Tang

I was the first woman president

我是第一個

非洲國家的女性總統。

of an African nation.

And I do believe more countries ought to try that.

我真心相信

應該有更多國家試用女總統看看。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

(Applause and cheers)

（掌聲及歡呼聲）

Once the glass ceiling has been broken,

一旦玻璃天花板被打破，

it can never be put back together --

就永遠不可能恢復原狀，

however one would try to do that.

不論怎麼努力嘗試都沒用。

When I assumed the presidency of Liberia

當我在 2006 年 1 月

in January 2006,

就任賴比瑞亞的總統時，

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

我們面對的是

衝突後國家的極大挑戰：

collapsed economy,

崩潰的經濟、

destroyed infrastructure,

被摧毀的基礎建設、

dysfunctional institutions,

無法運作的機關、

enormous debt,

龐大的債務、

bloated civil service.

過大的政府部門。

We also faced

我們同時要面對的難題包括

the challenges of those left behind.

處理衝突後留下來的人。

The primary victims of all civil wars:

那些內戰的主要受害者

women and children.

都是女人和孩童。

On my first day in office,

我上任後的第一天，

I was excited ...

我很興奮……

and I was exhausted.

同時也精疲力竭。

It had been a very long climb

要爬到我所處的那個位置，

to where I was.

是條很漫長的路。

Women had been those who suffered most

女人

在我們的國內衝突中受到最多的痛苦，

in our civil conflict,

and women had been the ones to resolve it.

女人也是解決這個問題的人。

Our history records

我們的歷史記載了

many women of strength and action.

許多強大的行動派女性。

A President of the United Nations General Assembly,

一位是聯合國大會的主席，

a renowned circuit court judge,

一位是知名的巡迴法庭法官，

a president of the University of Liberia.

一位是賴比瑞亞大學的校長。

我知道

I knew that I had to form

我必須要組成

a very strong team

一個非常強大的團隊，

with the capacity to address

這個團隊要有能力可以處理

the challenges of our nation.

我們國家面臨的難題。

And I wanted to put women in all top positions.

我也想要把最高的職位 通通都交給女性來擔任。

But I knew that was not possible.

但我知道那是不可能的。

And so I settled for putting them in strategic positions.

所以我退了一步，

讓女性擔任策略性的職務。

I recruited a very able economist from the World Bank

我從世界銀行找來了 一位非常能幹的經濟學家

to be our minister of finance,

擔任我們的財政部長，

to lead our debt-relief effort.

來主導我們處理債務免除難題。

Another to be the minister of foreign affairs,

另一位女性則擔任外交部長，

to reactivate our bilateral and multilateral relationships.

負責恢復

我們的雙邊及多邊的國際關係。

The first woman chief of police

第一位女性警察局長

to address the fears of our women,

負責處理在內戰中

who had suffered so much during the civil war.

吃足苦頭的女性所面臨的恐懼。

Another to be the minister of gender,

還有一位負責性別平等的部長，

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

她要確保女性 都受到保護且能夠參與。

Over time,

過了一段時間，

the minister of justice,

又多了司法部長、

the minister of public works,

公眾事務部長、農業部長、

the minister of agriculture,

the minister of commerce and industry.

商業及工業部長。

女性參與領導階層的情況

Participation in leadership

was unprecedented in my administration.

在我的任期間是前所未有的。

And although I knew

雖然我知道

that there were not enough women with the experience

經驗豐富的女性不夠多，

to form an all-women cabinet --

不足以組成全女性的內閣——

as I wanted --

這是我的願望——

I settled to appoint numerous women

我退一步，指派了很多位女性

in junior ministerial positions,

擔任初級的內閣職位，

as executives,

有的當主管，

as administrators,

有的當行政官員，

in local government,

有的在地方政府，

in diplomatic service,

有的在外交部門，有的在司法部，

in the judiciary,

in public institutions.

有的在公立機關。

It worked.

這方式成功了。

At the end of 2012,

2012 年底，

our economic growth had peaked at nine percent.

我們的經濟成長達到 9% 的高峰。

Our infrastructure was being reconstructed at a very fast pace.

我們的基礎建設

重建速度非常快。

Our institutions were functioning again.

我們的機關也重新上了軌道。

Our debt of 4.9 billion

我們的四十九億債務

had been largely canceled.

大部分都免除了。

We had good relationships with the International Monetary Fund,

我們和國際貨幣基金組織、世界銀行，

the World Bank,

the African Development Bank.

及非洲開發銀行都有良好的關係。

We also had good working relationships

我們也和非洲其他姐妹國

都有互動良好的關係，

with all our sister African countries

and many nations all over the world.

和全世界許多國家亦是如此。

Our women could sleep peacefully at night again,

我們的女性

晚上可以再次安穩沉睡，

without fear.

不用懼怕。

Our children were smiling again,

我們的孩童臉上恢復了笑容，

as I promised them during my first inaugural address.

這正是我在第一任的就職演講上

對他們的承諾。

The reputation and credibility

我們國家的名聲和信譽

of our nation,

lost in the many years of conflict,

在多年的衝突中早已破壞，

were restored.

現在也修復了。

But progress is never guaranteed.

但無法保證一定會進步。

And in our legislature, in my first term,

立法機關，在我的第一任任期中，

women were 14 percent.

有 14% 是女性。

In the second term,

第二任時，

it declined to eight percent,

比例降為 8%，

because the environment was increasingly toxic.

原因是環境變得越來越有害。

I had my fair shares of criticism and toxicity.

我也同樣受到批評和毒害。

Nobody is perfect.

沒有人是完美的。

But there's nothing more predictable

但，最容易預料的是

than a strong woman

一位堅強、

who wants to change things,

想要帶來改變、

who's brave to speak out,

有勇氣發聲、

who's bold in action.

有膽量採取行動的女性。

But I'm OK with the criticism.

但我不介意那些批評。

I know why I made the decisions I made,

我知道我做出 每個決策背後的原因，

and I'm happy with the results.

結果也讓我滿意。

But that's why more women leaders are needed.

但那正是為什麼 需要更多的女性領導者。

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

但是一定總是會有人

要詆毀我們，

who will tear us apart,

要分裂我們，

because they want the status quo to remain.

因為他們想要維持現狀。

Although sub-Saharan Africa has had major breakthroughs

雖然撒哈拉以南非洲

在女性領導和參與方面

in women's leadership and participation,

有很重大的突破，

particularly in the legislature --

特別是在立法機關

in parliament, as it's called --

──也就是所謂的議會──

so many women,

有好多女性，

50 percent and over, one of our nations,

50% 以上，我們的國家之一，

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

還高於 60%，

是世界之最──

but we know that's not enough.

但我們知道那還不夠。

While we must be very thankful

雖然我們應該非常

感恩和讚賞目前已達成的進展，

and applaud the progress we have made,

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

但我們知道還有很多工作要做。

我們還需要去處理遺留下來

The work will have to address the lingering vestiges

of structural ...

結構性的……

something against women.

不利於女性的部分。

In too many places,

在太多方面，

political parties

政黨

are based on patronage,

都立基在

贊助上、

patriarchy,

父權制上、

misogyny

厭女傾向上，

that try to keep women

試圖讓女性無法

from their rightful places,

擁有應有的地位。

that shut them out

讓女性無法

from taking leadership positions.

擔任領導階層的工作。

Too often, women face --

女性太常要面對──

雖然她們的表現最佳，

while the best performers,

while equal or better in competence --

雖然她們的能力相同或更好──

unequal pay.

不平等的薪資。

And so we must continue to work

所以我們必須要持續努力

to change things.

來改變現狀。

We must be able to change the stereotyping.

我們必須要改變刻板印象。

We must be able to ensure

我們必須要能克服

that those structural barriers

那些結構性的障礙，

that have kept women

這些障礙長久以來阻礙女性

from being able to have the equity they rightfully deserve.

取得她們應得的平等。

And we must also work with men.

我們也必須要和男性合作。

Because increasingly,

因為大家越來越

there is recognition

認知到

that full gender equity

完整的性別平等

will ensure a stronger economy,

能確保經濟更強盛，

a more developed nation,

國家也能發展得更好、

a more peaceful nation.

更和平。

And that is why we must continue to work.

那就是為什麼

我們必須持續努力。

And that is why we're partners.

那就是為什麼我們是合作夥伴。

I will be launching a Center for Women and Development

我將要推動

「女性及發展中心」，

that will bring together --

它將會團結──

(Applause)

（掌聲）

women who have started

已經開始並投入

and are committed to their joining of leadership.

領導工作的女性。

With women who have excelled

出色

且開明的女性

and advanced in leadership together.

會一起在領導階層努力。

Over a 10-year period,

經過十年，

we strongly believe

我們深信

that we will create this wave of women

我們就會創造出這一波女性，

who are prepared to take,

她們將會準備好，

unabashedly,

完全不膽怯，

intentional leadership and influence

來領導大家，

影響整個社會。

throughout society.

This is why --

這就是為什麼——

(Laughs)

（笑聲）

at 81, I cannot retire.

我都八十一歲了還無法退休。

(Applause and laughter)

（掌聲及笑聲）

(Applause and cheers)

（掌聲及歡呼聲）

Women are working for change

在非洲，女性正在努力

in Africa.

做出改變。

Women are working for change

在全世界，女性正在努力

throughout the world.

做改變。

I will be with them,

我會與她們同在，

and one of them,

我會是她們的一份子，

forever.

永遠都是。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Thank you for listening.

感謝聆聽。

Go out and change the world.

走出去，去改變世界。

(Applause and cheers)

（掌聲及歡呼聲）