On the 26th of October, Ethiopia took the right step towards the erasure of patriarchy within its political institution and country (in general) by appointing the first female president, Sahle-Work Zewde, who is our Woman Crush Wednesday.
The African continent, like every other continent, is experiencing a paradigm shift in the roles and the positions filled by women. To the world, we may be lagging behind in the necessary reformation that ensures an environment where equality of both sexes thrives, but this is not entirely the case as steps are being made in the right direction.
Liberia led this reform by electing the first female head of state, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, in 2006 after which countries like Malawi, Mauritius – and now Ethiopia – have followed suit.
Our focus, however, is on the newly appointed female president of Ethiopia. And although this position is primarily ceremonial as the executive power is vested in the office of the Prime Minister, it still presents a different standard of governance void of gender discrimination.
‘If the current change in Ethiopia is headed equally by both men and women, it can sustain its momentum and realize a prosperous Ethiopia free of religious, ethnic and gender discrimination,’ Sahle-Work said. ‘The absence of peace victimizes firstly women, so during my tenure, I will emphasise women’s roles in ensuring peace and the dividends of peace for women.’
As more and more women hold decision-making roles, it wouldn’t be long before there’s a universal overhaul of the culture that relegates women to the background in Africa.