If we are serious about closing the gender gap in public leadership, then we must deliberately invest in women who are ready to lead and in the ecosystems that sustain them. That is the work of the Amujae Initiative. #Amujae backs women already in public leadership to rise higher, influence decisions, and transform institutions. 50 leaders. 20 countries. 4 cohorts. And many more coming. This is how power shifts. Join the #GapZero movement as we shine more light on our Amujae leaders. @WurieHaja @EditeTenJua @advocatemahere @AngeleMakombo @AnneWaiguru @BogoloKenewendo @Chilandochitan1 @Chipokota @cakamanzi @dagmawit_moges @Adaeze_Oreh @joduwole @yakamajones @zanetorofficial @EmmaTheofelus @ghadalabib @fbedwei @gladyswanga @ProfDrGADanquah @hadizabalausman @IM_Okafor @JoanaMamombe @KulaFofana @malado_kaba @moriah_yeakula @Eng_Patricie @SeramePeggy @LoweMayor @AlbazarSahar @TraoreSona @eoabisoye @miss_urey @UjuRochas @UmraOmar @UpendoPeneza @yawahq @yakisawyerr

For the first time, we were at CSW. Our ED Ellen O. Pratt’s takeaway: advancing women’s rights requires more than women being present in rooms, it requires them to truly hold the power and authority to shape decisions. The question is no longer access, but ensuring women can fully lead. That is the work ahead. #GapZero Read her reflections here: ejscenter.org/what-our-first…

On this day in 2020, former President @MaEllenSirleaf officially launched the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development with the inaugural Amujae Initiative cohort. Six years later, the work continues. Over 50 Amujae Leaders across 20 African countries, a Data Hub tracking women’s representation in all 54 African states, and one clear objective: #GapZero, closing the gender gap in public leadership. On #InternationalWomensDay, our Executive Director Ellen O. Pratt reflects on the progress made and the work ahead. #RightsJusticeAction

On this day in 2020, former President @MaEllenSirleaf officially launched the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development with the inaugural Amujae Initiative cohort. Six years later, the work continues. Over 50 Amujae Leaders across 20 African countries, a Data Hub tracking women’s representation in all 54 African states, and one clear objective: #GapZero, closing the gender gap in public leadership. On #InternationalWomensDay, our Executive Director Ellen O. Pratt reflects on the progress made and the work ahead. #RightsJusticeAction

Who truly holds the power? For Rights. Justice. Action., women need more than presence and visibility in public office. They need real influence. Across Africa, representation has improved, but power remains unevenly distributed. Presence in office does not automatically translate into agenda-setting authority, budget control, legislative leadership, or the power to define national priorities. Closing the gender gap in public leadership requires reforming the systems that allocate power, not simply increasing numbers. That is the structural challenge #GapZero seeks to address. #RightsJusticeAction

29% Cabinet. 23% National Assembly. 31% Senate. Progress for women leaders in Kenya? Yes. Real political power? Not yet. What does real influence & authority beyond representation look like? Last week, @MaEllenSirleaf joined Kenyan leaders for #CountryTalksKenya to push for #GapZero, closing the gender gap in public leadership Read more: ejscenter.org/former-preside… @BinaMaseno @CrystalAsige @WakoliCaren @MitchelleO @Badili_A @elfafrica1

Can Africa see another democratically elected female president? According to @Mo_IbrahimFdn and @IPSS_Addis, in at least 11 countries, voters are expected to elect new heads of state. Yet Africa’s record on women’s executive leadership remains limited. At the EJS Center, we track women’s political leadership across Africa through our Data Hub: ejscenter.org/data-hub/ If 2026 is another defining election year, it should also be a year of #GapZero, closing the gender gap in public leadership across Africa. Check out the Data Hub here: ejscenter.org/data-hub/

📷 Éducation, Santé, Justice, Environnement... Ton vote compte. Lequel de ces projets te passionne le plus, #Femme_leader #gapZero 📷Ensemble, des grandes réalisations sont possibles. Je suis convaincue que mon accompagnement t'aidera à gagner du temps. #Je_mengage_en_politique

#Throwback - 12 Feb 2018. @MaEllenSirleaf became the 1st woman to receive the @Mo_IbrahimFdn Prize for Achievement in African Leadership, recognizing her leadership in Liberia’s recovery and democratic progress. Upon receiving the Prize, Madam shared: “Where there is a first, there comes a second, and a third, and a fourth.” Today, she lives this promise by mentoring and inspiring Africa’s present and next generation of women leaders. Her legacy guides our work each day as we push for #GapZero, closing the gender gap in public leadership across Africa and moving women leaders from representation to real power. #AfricanLeadership #WomenInLeadership #EJSCenter

Quality statistics and data for everyone. As we mark the fourth observance of World Statistics Day, we are reminded that high-quality, accessible data is not just about numbers. In a world facing complex challenges, from gender inequality to governance gaps, data is the foundation for evidence-based policies, effective advocacy, and accountable leadership. At the EJS Center, we believe that women’s leadership and gender equality must be driven by facts. That’s why we created the EJS Center Data Hub, a one-stop platform that brings together vital data on women in public leadership across Africa, from representation in parliaments and cabinets to leadership trends across regions. By turning information into insight, the Data Hub equips policymakers, researchers, activists, and citizens with the tools they need to track progress, expose disparities, and accelerate change. Data drives decisions, and with the right data, we can eliminate gender parity and accelerate #GapZero, a future where women lead at every level of public life. Explore the Data Hub today and see how evidence can become impact: ejscenter.org/data-hub/

5/8 🌍 Ce projet prolonge le programme Amujae, qui a déjà accompagné 50 femmes leaders africaines. Il s’inscrit dans l’initiative #GapZero du EJS Center : réduire à zéro l’écart hommes-femmes dans les sphères de pouvoir. #CGI2025 #FemmesEnPolitique

1/8 Une première mondiale en Afrique : Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (@MaEllenSirleaf), pionnière et première femme élue présidente du continent (Liberia, 2005), inaugure en 2025 l’African Women’s House. 🎯 Objectif : former, inspirer et accompagner les femmes africaines vers le pouvoir. #LeadershipFéminin #GapZero

1/8 Une première mondiale en Afrique : Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (@MaEllenSirleaf), pionnière et première femme élue présidente du continent (Liberia, 2005), inaugure en 2025 l’African Women’s House. 🎯 Objectif : former, inspirer et accompagner les femmes africaines vers le pouvoir. #LeadershipFéminin #GapZero

🇱🇷1/8 Une première mondiale en Afrique : Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (@MaEllenSirleaf) pionnière et première femme élue présidente du continent (Liberia, 2005), inaugure en 2025 l’African Women’s House. 🎯 Objectif : former, inspirer et accompagner les femmes africaines vers le pouvoir. #LeadershipFéminin #GapZero

North Africa, let’s meet in 10 minutes! The #GapZero North Africa Regional Consultation kicks off at 12:00 PM GMT (GMT 1 Tunisia). Don’t miss your chance to join the conversation on advancing women’s public leadership across the region. Join here: bit.ly/GapZero-NorthAfrica Afrique du Nord, rendez-vous dans 10 minutes ! La consultation régionale #GapZero Afrique du Nord démarre à 12h00 GMT (GMT 1 Tunisie). Ne manquez pas cette occasion de prendre part à la conversation sur l’avenir du leadership public des femmes dans la région. Inscrivez-vous ici : bit.ly/GapZero-NorthAfrica

Le mouvement #GapZero continue son voyage vers l’Afrique du Nord ! Après des échanges puissants en Afrique de l’Est, de l’Ouest, australe et centrale, il est temps pour la région nord-africaine de faire entendre sa voix. Rendez-vous le jeudi 2 octobre 2025 à 12h00 GMT (GMT 1, Tunisie) pour une discussion rassemblant leaders, décideurs et acteurs de la société civile autour d’un objectif commun : faire progresser le leadership public des femmes. Avec un panel exceptionnel et une interprétation simultanée en français et anglais, cette consultation promet d’être riche et inclusive. Inscrivez-vous dès maintenant : bit.ly/GapZero-NorthAfrica

We’re going live from #UNGA80! The EJS Center’s side event, “Collaborative Action Towards #GapZero,” is happening today, September 26, 2025, 9:30AM EST (1:30 PM GMT) at the Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice. Not in New York? You still have the opportunity to join the conversation online via our Facebook and/or YouTube channels as leaders, changemakers, and our founder, former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, discuss how to accelerate women’s political leadership across Africa and beyond. Hear from: @TrailblazrWoman @FirstLadyNam3 @KalondoMonica @zanetorofficial @Djami_D @Chipokota @musiimee @malikadutt …and many more inspiring leaders! We will be streaming shortly!

[FR] C’est bientôt l’heure ! La Consultation régionale #GapZero pour l’Afrique centrale commence aujourd’hui à 12h00 GMT. C’est le moment de prendre part à la conversation qui façonne l’avenir du leadership public des femmes en Afrique. Rejoignez la conversation ici: bit.ly/AfriqueCentrale-GapZe…. Une interprétation simultanée en français et en anglais sera assurée. [EN] It’s almost time! The #GapZero Central Africa Regional Consultation starts today at 12:00 PM GMT. This is your moment to join the conversation shaping the future of women’s public leadership in Africa. Join the conversation here: bit.ly/AfriqueCentrale-GapZe…. Simultaneous English–French interpretation will be available.

Want to connect with the Center? Meet the EJS Center Team at #UNGA80 Our Executive Director, Ellen Pratt; Chief Operating Officer, Jenelle Sirleaf; Director of Partnerships and Resource Mobilization, Nduta Kuria; Director of Programs, Madonna Kendona; Director of Strategic Research and Communications, Christopher Ifeanyi-Nwanze; and Research Officer, Aicha Mohammed, are currently in New York for UNGA. Throughout the week, they will be engaging in various spaces to amplify women’s leadership and advance the call for #GapZero, a future where women and men share power equally in shaping public life.

Happening tomorrow! Join us alongside @EJSCenter, @amwaafrika, @EditeTenJua and @ChantalFaida for the Central Africa edition of the #GapZero consultations! Register here: bit.ly/AfriqueCentrale-GapZe…