It's unanimous: Ethiopian lawmakers elect first female president By Associated Press, adapted by Newsela staff on 11.01.18 Word Count 688 Level 1070L

Sahle-Work Zewde (second from left) walks with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (second from right) after being elected as Ethiopia's first female president at the Parliament in Addis Ababa on October 25, 2018. Photo by: Eduardo Soteras/AFP/Getty Images

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Ethiopia's lawmakers unanimously voted to elect the country's first female president on October 25. The election came just days after Ethiopia approved one of the world's few government Cabinets with as many women as men. These changes are the latest in a series of reforms taking place in Ethiopia.

Sahle-Work Zewde is a seasoned government official. Although her job as Ethiopian president is mostly a ceremonial position, many celebrated Africa's only current female head of state. A head of state can be either a prime minister or president. In Ethiopia — like many other countries — the president serves as a country's public representative rather than government leader. The prime minister is the most powerful person in government, similar to the job of a president in the U.S. Africa's first female president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia, left office this year.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 1 "Congratulations, Madam President! Women do make a difference. We are proud of you!" the female president of the United Nations (U.N.) General Assembly, María Fernanda Espinosa Garces, said in a Twitter post.

Setting The Standard

"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," said the Twitter post from the chief of staff for Abiy Ahmed. Abiy is the Ethiopian Prime Minister, and leads Ethiopia's government.

The East African country has long shown some of the lowest indicators of equal rights for females in sub-Saharan Africa, said U.N. Women. This U.N. group helps empower females around the world.

"Women and girls in Ethiopia are strongly disadvantaged compared to boys and men in several areas, including literacy, health, livelihoods and basic human rights," said U.N. Women.

Sweeping Political And Economic Reforms

However, the new Ethiopian prime minister has clearly decided to include women's leadership in the sweeping political and economic reforms. Ahmed took office in April. Since then, he has announced many changes in the country with the second most people in Africa.

Ethiopian lawmakers last week approved a Cabinet with women making up a record 50 percent of high-powered ministers. One of the positions includes the country's first female defense minister. A woman also leads the new Ministry of Peace, which will oversee the powerful National Intelligence and Security Service and the Federal Police Commission.

Ethiopia is a power in the eastern region called "The Horn of Africa." The country has now joined a handful of countries, mostly European, in reaching a meaningful balance between men and women in government. Women in these countries make up 50 percent or more of the minister positions, according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union and U.N. Women.

Likely inspired by Ethiopia, the country Rwanda two days later announced its own new Cabinet. It also has 50 percent women. Rwanda has received international recognition for female representation in government.

"The African continent is leading the way in showcasing that women's engagement and leadership are crucial to lasting peace," U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Twitter.

After Ethiopia's recent transfer of power to Abiy, Sahle-Work said the change sets a powerful example. Abiy took over after months of anti-government protests demanding wider freedoms, as little has changed politically in Ethiopia for years.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 2 In 1991 the military dictatorship that ran Ethiopia and killed thousands of civilians was overthrown by the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front, or EPRDF. It is a coalition of four political parties. Each party represents a different ethnic group in Ethiopia. The EPRDF holds nearly every seat in Parliament. The party agreed earlier this month to have Abiy lead it until its next Congress, a vote of confidence for his reforms.

Bringing All Sides Together

Sahle-Work said she will focus on bringing together all sides to achieve peace. Conflicts between people of different ethnic groups have simmered in recent months. The tensions have arisen as Ethiopia has shown a new willingness to address disagreements about government.

Sahle-Work has worked in various U.N. divisions and was the first director-general of the U.N. office in Nairobi, Kenya. Until recently she was the U.N. secretary-general's special representative to the African Union.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 3