Ethiopia

Ethiopia’s first female president, Sahle-Work Zewde, spoke to FORBES AFRICA’s Managing Editor, Renuka Methil, on the country’s plans to combat Covid-19 and resuscitate one of the fastest growing economies in Africa.

Zewde, listed as one of Africa’s ‘50 Most Powerful Women’ in the March issue of FORBES AFRICA, says while the virus didn’t warrant the nation going into complete lockdown, it has hit some sectors of the East African country’s economy, affecting its GDP growth.

Recent gains by women in the Ethiopian political landscape offer a chance to improve gender equality around the country and put an end to long-standing societal iniquities.

Since coming to power in 2018, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has reorganised the cabinet to ensure that 50 percent of the government’s top ministerial positions have been given to women.

The number of Ethiopian women in the national legislative and executive branches has grown significantly since Ethiopia conducted its first parliamentary election in 1995. However a lot more needs to be done to make sure women are proportionally represented in political decision making.

Setaweet Movement, a movement established to “create a space for dialogue, research and activism by Ethiopian women and men,” organized its first Annual All-Women Academia Conference on Saturday, November 23, 2019 under the theme ‘’Writing our rights.’’

The Ethiopian Chapter of the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN) is launched on Monday at an event attended by United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed, President of Ethiopia, Sahle-Work Zewde.'

President Zewde said the launch of the chapter was a major milestone that will benefit all Ethiopian women and ensure their voice is better heard and their issues better addressed.