Ethiopia Elects Its First Female President

Ethiopia has elected its first female president Sahle Work-Zewde.

According to BBC, Sahle Work-Zewde is now Africa’s first female head of state. Just last week Prime Minister #AbiyAhmed appointed women to more than half of the cabinet positions.\

Women face many issues around the world including, underpayment, abuse and other forms of discrimination. Work-Zewde hopes she can alleviate more issues that women endure in east Africa. “I urge you all, to uphold our peace, in the name of a mother, who is the first to suffer from the absence of peace.”

The minister’s chief of staff tweeted in support of Work-Zewde saying, “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.”

Before her presidency, Work-Zewde served as an ambassador for Ethiopia in Senegal and Djibouti. In addition, she worked in several positions in the United Nations. One of her titles was being the head of peace-building in the Central African Republic (CAR).     The president is ceremonial while the prime minister maintains political power.