Who is Sahle-Work Zewde, the first female president in the history of Ethiopia

On October 25, 2018, a day like today, Sahle-Work Zewde was appointed the first female president in the history of Ethiopia. She was born in Addis Ababa in 1950, and until her appointment, she was almost unknown in a country that has eighty different ethnic groups.

The Ethiopian parliament unanimously appointed Zewde as president of the country, a position that is mainly honorary.

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“If anyone thinks I talk a lot about women, wait until you hear everything I have to say. We need to build a society that rejects its oppression”, she warned after her appointment, making clear her feminist vision and in search of peace.

It should be remembered that Africa they have had very few women at the head of their countries. The harassment, intimidation and gender violence they suffer when they take a step make their dreams truncate from an early age.

Ethiopia, for example, is among the three countries with the most cases of sexual assault, according to the UN.

30% of the female population is illiterate and its morbidity rate is 75%

Zewdewho made a career in diplomacy, is the fourth president of the country since the adoption of the 1995 Constitution. The text provides that a president can be elected for a maximum of two six-year terms.

Before being appointed to the position, she worked as a special representative in the African Union (AU) of the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres.

His appointment followed the resignation of President Mulatu Teshome, who had been in office since 2013.

Zewde is the face of the new Ethiopia and of more than millions of women who, according to the NGO Manos Unidas, foster the development of their countries, by supporting their families, often with poorly paid jobs, and educating their children.

“When there is no peace, mothers feel frustrated,” he says. Zewdewho has been fervently committed to peace hand in hand with his prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, winner of the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize.

Source: Elcomercio

Ronald Payne

I, Ronald Payne, am a journalist and author who dedicated his life to telling the stories that need to be said. I have over 7 years of experience as a reporter and editor, covering everything from politics to business to crime.