African countries have been known to always have a male president but a new record has been set today, October 25, 2018, as the Ethiopian parliament recently appointed its first female president, Ms Sahle-Work Zewde.
Here are a few things worth knowing about Ms Work Zewde, who is also a veteran of the United Nations and the diplomatic corps.
1. Sahle-Work Zewde was born on February 21, 1950. She is 68 years old.
2. She studied natural science at the University of Montpellier, France.
3. From 1993 to 2002, she was Ambassador to Djibouti and Permanent Representative to the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).
4. She later served as Ambassador to France, Permanent Representative to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and accredited to Tunisia and Morocco from 2002 to 2006.
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5. In 2011, Zewde was appointed Director-General of the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON) by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. She was the first person to hold the post at the level of Under-Secretary-General.
6. She was appointed as President of Ethiopia on October 25 2018, the first female to serve in the role.
7. She is fluent in Amharic, French and English.
