Beyond Representation: A Seat at the Table and a Call for More

It’s not every day you get an invitation from Africa’s first female president to speak at her event. Let’s just say when that email came through, I didn’t need coffee to wake me up, it was an instant jolt of excitement and privilege.

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On August 15, 2025, I had the honor of serving as a discussant at the inaugural edition of Country Talks: Beyond Representation, hosted by the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development at the Mamba Point Hotel in Monrovia.

The room was a rich mix of highly accomplished women and emerging leaders. The EJS Data Hub’s presentation alone had so much incredible information, the kind you’ll want to check out on their website yourself. And while the setting was formal, I was grateful to find my confidence corners in the audience, those supportive faces that gave me the silent “go girl!” nods every speaker needs.

When it was my turn, I decided to open with a reality check: for some people, leadership and politics still carry a masculine tag. Maybe that’s why, every year since 2021, at least 50 people — through email, WhatsApp, or direct calls, address me as Sir. It’s not that they can’t read my name or see my photo. It’s because they simply expect the Manager of the Young Political Leadership School Africa to be a man.

There I was, the youngest on the panel, unapologetically sharing my views. I spoke about the need for preparation:

“We need to be ready for what we want to step into. We need adequate representation. We need the skills, mentorship, training, from people who inspire us.”

I also raised the idea of creating a “Junior AMUJAE Program”. The AMUJAE Program is a flagship initiative that empowers highly accomplished women in public leadership. But what about the younger women who may not yet be “accomplished,” but carry leadership potential burning within them?

In over half a decade of work with young people, particularly young women, I’ve seen how mentorship and early leadership training can make or break dreams. Not every young woman who is passionate about leadership will immediately rise to AMUJAE levels. Life’s demands may cause some to shrink, delay, or even shatter their aspirations. But with the right enabling environment, a Junior AMUJAE could equip them with the skills, confidence, and audacity to chase dreams bigger than what they currently think possible.

It would open joyful and meaningful opportunities for young women like me across Africa and inspire a whole new generation to someday join the ranks of senior AMUJAE leaders.

That day, sitting among trailblazers and visionaries, I was reminded that representation is not the finish line, it’s the doorway. True progress means pulling others through, widening the path, and daring to imagine new spaces for leadership and building a future where leadership is no longer tagged by gender, but defined by courage, competence, and compassion.