In an interview after her speech, Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf addressed questions regarding what it is like being one of two female heads of state in Africa, what types of partnerships Liberia has forged in the international community and how she hopes to deter the spread of HIV/AIDS in her country.

Being a role model

Sirleaf said being president is not difficult for her because she has been in the political arena for a long time. However she did describe her biggest challenge as "having to be humble because of the expectations of women all over the world."

International Relations

Liberia has a program in conjunction with the International Monetary Fund to reform fiscal systems and relieve the nation's debt, she said.

"The World Bank has been a great partner to us," she said, referring to grants received from the bank that will go toward repairing roads.

The Chinese government has also been increasingly helpful to the poverty-stricken country, and the European Union has been another major partner in helping build infrastructure throughout the country.

The biggest obstacles the country has faced in forging these relationships include the time it takes to implement certain programs, she said.

"The commitments that are there are strong but as I always say, there is a long road between commitment and cash," she said.

Combatting HIV/AIDS

Sirleaf said she plans to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS in Liberia through a combination of things, but especially through a major education program.

Posters in schools encouraging people about safe habits and HIV/AIDS drugs, especially those targeting pregnant mothers, will be distributed.

She is also working to establish an AIDS commission that will track progress being made.

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton visited the country in July and subsequently the Clinton Global Initiative, which seeks to unite political, scholarly and business leaders in a more integrated global community, is working with the Liberian government to establish the commission.