Iron Ladies of Liberia on AllMovie

Filmmakers Daniel Junge and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf examine the remarkable rise of Liberia's first elected female president and Africa's first freely elected female head of state in this documentary profiling Ellen Johnson Sirleaf - the Harvard educated economist who earned the nickname "Iron Lady" for her strident efforts in rebuilding the war-torn country. While President Sirleaf did find plenty of support both at home and abroad, the prospect of reforming a corrupt government while contending with substantial debt and standing her ground against loyalists to the former president would prove a daunting task to even the most seasoned politician. Upon taking office, President Sirleaf made the controversial decision to appoint a number of strong-willed women to various positions within the Liberian government. But will President Sirleaf's reform-minded administration prove capable of exerting the influence needed to truly bring about change within a country torn asunder by strife, or are her opponents so determined to prove her wrong that they're willing to sacrifice their own country to do so?