Hillary will be in Liberia March 8th for International Women's Day

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are among 400 leading women, several of them heads of state, expected at a massive Women's Day meet this weekend in Liberia.

Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf announced the gathering Monday and said she was looking forward to hosting Clinton, Merkel, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet and Finnish President Tarja Halonen among others.

The gathering on Saturday and Sunday in Monrovia, which will also be attended by Nelson Mandela's wife Graca Machel, will focus on the future of women in the world, according to a statement from the Liberian presidency.

"It is more than a conference. It is a historic milestone for us as a nation. Hosting this big gathering of people from all over the world is an indication of how far our country has come," the statement said.