For the First Time, a Woman Becomes President of Ethiopia

Ethiopian parliament members unanimously elected the country's first female president on Thursday, just days after approving a cabinet where half of the members are women. According to the Associated Press, Ms. Sahle-Work Zewde, a veteran diplomat, was chosen to replace Mulatu Teshome as the president of Ethiopia, a position that is primarily ceremonial. The head of the Ethiopian Prime Minister's office tweeted: "In a patriarchal society like ours, the election of a woman as president not only sets future standards but will also normalize the role of women in managing societal affairs." Ms. Sahle-Work Zewde described the power transfer to the reformist Prime Minister as a "model" and stated she would strive to establish peace among rival factions. In recent months, Ethiopia has witnessed numerous ethnic-based conflicts. Last week, the Ethiopian parliament approved the new cabinet, which includes a female defense minister. This is the latest instance of extensive political and economic reforms in Africa's second-most populous country since Abiy Ahmed became Prime Minister in April, following months of nationwide protests against the government and in defense of expanding political freedoms. Sahle-Work Zewde, 68, has worked in various United Nations agencies, including as the first head of its office in Nairobi and most recently as the UN Secretary-General's special representative to the African Union. Born in Addis Ababa, she studied in France and has served as Ethiopia's ambassador in France, Djibouti, and Senegal. In addition to Amharic, Ethiopia's main language, she is fluent in French and English. The Associated Press adds that for the first time in Ethiopia's new cabinet, a woman, Aisha Mohammed, has been appointed as the defense minister, overseeing the new Ministry of Peace, which is responsible for internal security forces and intelligence agencies. On Thursday, Ms. Sahle-Work Zewde stated in her speech to the Ethiopian parliament: "If the new changes in the country proceed equally by women and men, it will be a significant milestone in our movement towards a successful Ethiopia free from religious, ethnic, and gender discrimination." The presidential position in Ethiopia is ceremonial, with real power held by the Prime Minister. However, Ms. Sahle-Work's election to the presidency will have important symbolic and social implications. She added in another part of her speech: "The government and opposition parties must understand that we live in a shared house, and by focusing on common points instead of differences, we can build a country that we will all be proud of." In the past two decades, only a few women have held executive presidential power in Africa, including Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who was president of Liberia from 2006 to 2018, and Joyce Banda, who was president of Malawi from 2012 to 2014.