Prominent Ethiopian human rights lawyer, Meaza Ashenafi has been elected as the first woman to head the country’s Federal Supreme Court.
Her name was put forward by Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed and MPs unanimously approved the appointment.
It is the latest in a series of appointments in Ethiopia that have seen the promotion of women to top jobs.
The week before, Prime Minister Abiy appointed a cabinet with half the posts taken up by women.
Miss Meaza founded the Ethiopian Women’s Lawyers Association in 1995. Prior to that, she was a Judge at the High court and helped advise the team drawing up the new constitution in the early 1990s.
She has also worked at the UN Economic Commission for Africa and helped develop the country’s first bank for women.
