WHAT A WIN FOR ETHIOPIA
Sahle-Work Zewde first female President of Ethiopia
It’s about a week later and we are still hang up on what just happened in Ethiopia…
Ethiopia has made a mark in history.A moment for all women in Africa and all around the world. The election of Sahle –Work Zewde as Ethiopia’s first female president has been enthusiastically embraced in the second most populous nation in Africa and has gone beyond raising hope among advocates for gender parity. By way of a unanimous vote, Ethiopian lawmakers chose the career diplomat to replace Mulatu Teshome who resigned under unclear circumstances. Sahle — Work Zewde has been described as Ethiopian first head of state of the modern era, with some remembering Empress Zewditu who governed the country in the early part of the 20th Century. Ms Sahle- Work’s appointment makes her the only female head of state in Africa at the moment.
Her Excellency was born in Addis Abba, Ethiopia on February 21, 1950. After attending the University of Montpelier in France, Ms. Sahle-Work soon took up a career in diplomatic service for her country, serving as its ambassador to Senegal with accreditation to Mali, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Gambia and Guinea from 1989 to 1993.She later served as Ethiopia’s ambassador to Djibouti and the Permanent Representative to the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, an eight-nation trade bloc in East Africa, from 1993 to 2002.
Afterwards, Sahle-Work was appointed to serve as Ethiopia’s ambassador to France and served as the Permanent Representative to UNESCO, also being accredited to Tunisia and Morocco from 2002 to 2006.
In 2011, she was appointed to be the Director-General of the United Nations Office in Nairobi before being chosen to be Special Representative to the African Union and Head of the United Nations Office to the African Union at the position of Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations by UN Secretary-General António Guterres on June 27, 2018, being the first woman to hold the prominent position.
Shortly afterwards in October 25, 2018, Sahle-Work was named as the president of Ethiopia by the country’s lawmakers, notably being the first woman to hold the position breaking odds again. Although the presidency of Ethiopia is largely a ceremonial role with limited political power, Sahle-Work’s ascent to the position carries immense symbolic weight. As reported by the Washington Post, while accepting her position as Ethiopia’s first female head of state, Sahle-Work, 68, promised to work towards peace and unity, as well as a “society that rejects the oppression of women.”
The prime minister’s chief of staff, Fitsum Arega, tweeted that ‘in a patriarchal society such as ours, the appointment of a female head of state not only sets the standard for the future but also normalizes women as decision-makers in public life.’
‘… during my tenure I will emphasize women’s roles in ensuring peace and the dividends of peace for women,’ Ms.Sahle-Work said.As president, Sahle-Work is expected to serve two six-year terms in her position.
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