Ethiopia’s Parliament approved the appointment of Sahle-Work Zewde on Thursday, making her the nation’s first female president in modern history.
Rabat – Ethiopia’s Parliament approved the appointment of Sahle-Work Zewde on Thursday, making her the nation’s first female president in modern history.
Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who was elected in April, appointed Sahle-Work, who will now become Africa’s only current female head of state.
Although the position of president in Ethiopia is largely a ceremonial one, it is deeply symbolic and represents just part of a larger package of reforms pushed by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, which also include the release of political prisoners and peace-making efforts with Eritrea.
Sahle-Work’s previous positions include ambassador for Ethiopia to Senegal and Djibouti and representative of the African Union to the UN.
Speaking to the Ethiopian Parliament just after taking the oath of office, Sahle-Work stressed the importance of building a “society that rejects the oppression of woman.”
Last week Abiy Ahmed announced that half the positions in his newly formed cabinet would be led by women, among them Muferiat Kamil, who takes control of the influential Ministry of Peace.
