We Want Women Not Just In Seats But Thriving – EJS Center Pushes for Systemic Change in Women's Leadership

By Pauline Ngozoh

The Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development (EJS Center) says Africa's gender equality agenda must move beyond individual achievements to address the deep-rooted systems that hinder women's participation in public leadership.

Delivering a keynote address at the Gender Disparity in Public Leadership Conference, the Executive Director of the EJS Center, Ellen Prat Harris, commended stakeholders for their commitment to advancing gender equality and strengthening women's participation in public life.

She challenged the conference to look critically at the broader environment shaping women's leadership journeys.

"As we continue this dialogue, I encourage us to look beyond individual success stories and consider the systems, the institutions, and the cultural expectations that either enable or constrain women's leadership," she said.

The Executive Director posed three critical questions to delegates: What is working, what must change, and what each person can do to ensure that the next generation of African women does not have to overcome the same barriers as those who came before them.

She emphasized that the ultimate goal is not numerical representation alone, but creating enabling societies.

"Ultimately our ambition is not simply to see more women in leadership positions. It is to create societies in which women can lead effectively, contribute fully and exercise influence without facing disproportionate obstacles because of their gender. We don't want to see women just in seats. We want to see women in seats and thriving," she stressed.

She called on participants to use the conference platform to listen deeply, share honestly and think boldly about Zambia and the continent's future. She noted that insights generated should not end at the conference but must inform future conversations, policy decisions, and actions to build a future where women's leadership is not the exception but the norm.

The Gender Disparity in Public Leadership Conference has brought together leaders, policymakers and gender advocates to chart actionable pathways for inclusive governance.