First Ladies of Ethiopia
Ethiopian first ladies have been playing vital roles in leadership throughout the country's evolution over the years. These women helped their nation fight against invading forces and earned their positions in government. Whether as members of royalty, or educated politicians in later years, these Ethiopians proved that women are just as qualified and equipped to lead a country. They blazed the trail for the many female leaders who'd come after them. Below are interesting insights and notes about the first ladies that served the country since its official establishment as the Ethiopian Empire.
1. Empress Seble Wengel: Born in 1510, Seble was the wife of Emperor Lebna Dengel (Dawit). Empress Seble was in charge of leading resistance efforts against the Islamic invasions of Ahmed Gragn after her Husband fell ill and died. She was responsible for rallying troops, mobilizing forces, and evading the Imam, until Portuguese aid arrived. Her son Emperor Gelawdos succeeded as Emperor.
2. Empress Mentewab: Born in 1706, Mentewab was the wife of the Emperor Bakaffa. Mentewab married Emperor Bakaffa in Qwara 6 September 1722, becoming his second wife after is first wife died for unknown reasons. Empress Mentewab was one of the most prolific and influential leaders of the Zemene Mesafint.
Mentewab was crowned co-ruler after her husband, Bakaffa died. She was educated and deeply religious, depicted in Churches under St. Mary’s feet. Empress Mentewab built several significant structures in Gondar, including her own castle in the Royal Enclosure, and a large banqueting hall as well. Most significantly she built a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary at Qusquam in the mountains outside of Gondar. Empress Mentewab also built a palace adjoining her church, which became her favored residence. She lead well until her Grandsons’s reign and died in seclusion in her palace in Qusquam.
3. Taitu Betul: Born in 1851, Taitu was the wife of Menelik ll and the empress of Ethiopia from 1889-1913. Alongside her husband Taitu established Addis Ababa as the capital city of Ethiopia, she also gave Addis Ababa its name, which in English means "New Flower".
Taitu was deeply involved in Ethiopian politics and was a key player in fighting to keep Ethiopia from falling in the hands of western powers. She stood for her country by fighting on the front line with the soldiers during the attempted Italian invasion. Her husband always consulted her when making crucial decisions. After he fell ill around 1906, she started making decisions on his behalf. Taitu died in February 1918 and was buried next to her husband at the Taeka Negest Ba'eta Le Mariam Monastery in Addis Ababa.
4. Menen Asfaw: Born on April 3, 1891, Menen was the wife of Emperor Haile Selassie and the empress of the Ethiopian Empire. Menen had two other marriages before she was married to Emperor Haile Sellasie and had four children from her previous unions. In addition to her wife and mother duties, Menen also contributed to her community by establishing child care centers and was active in shedding light on women's rights issues. She founded the first all-girls school in Addis Ababa called “Empress Menen School for Girls”. She also was the patroness of the Ethiopian red cross, the Ethiopian women charitable organization, and the Jerusalem society that arranged pilgrimages to the holy land. Menen died in 1962 at the age of 70.
5. Wubanchi Bishaw: Born on May 21, 1937, Wubanchi was the wife of Mengistu Haile Mariam, who led the Derg, a communist regime that ruled Ethiopia during the 1970s and 1980s. They got married in 1968 and have 3 children together. Wubanchi was described as a gentle and pious woman however, little information was revealed about her role as the first lady and her family in general during the period of her husband's rule. After the downfall of the Derg regime in 1991, Wubanchi and her family fled to Zimbabwe, where they were given asylum.They were last reported to be living between Harare and Lake Kariba.
6. Azeb Mesfin: Azeb was the wife of the late Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Meles Zenawi. Azeb was born in Welkayit, northern Ethiopia. After completing elementary school, Azeb immigrated to Sudan to live with her aunt because of increasing insurgency in Northern Ethiopia. At the age of 20 Azeb was introduced to the rebel cause and the doctrines of TPLF through Mekonnen Zelelew, a TPLF combatant and recruiter assigned in Sudan at that time, that was when her political journey began.
In 1980, Mekonen returned to Ethiopia with over 20 Tigrian women from Sudan, including Azeb. When she joined TPLF, Azeb was assigned and trained as a copy typist at TPLF political affairs bureau. That was when she met Meles Zenawi, who used to train cadres at that time. They got married soon after and fought alongside each other to defeat the Derg Communist Regime. Meles would go on to become the President of Ethiopia, and Azeb his First Lady, till he later became the Prime Minister.
Azeb officially joined the political scene in 2005 by becoming a member of the Ethiopian Parliament. Then she also became the chairwoman of the social affair standing committee. Her continuous efforts in educating the rural population of Ethiopia about HIV/AIDS have earned her recognition from Georgetown University, which awarded the organization of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS its “John Thompson legacy of a dream award”. She accepted this award alongside the first ladies of Zambia and Rwanda on behalf of the first ladies of Africa involved in the organization. After her husband passed, Azeb still oversees the operation of the Meles Zenawi foundation, and she also owns and runs several other businesses and organizations to date.
7. Roman Tesfaye: Roman Tesfaye was Ethiopia's first lady from August 2012-April 2018. She is the wife of the former Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Hailemariam Desalegn. Roman Tesfaye holds a degree in Economics and a master's degree in Leadership. Prior to her position as First Lady of Ethiopia, she was a lecturer of Economics at Arbaminch University and held senior management positions in different recognized organizations. Roman is actively engaged in making cancer treatment and care services accessible and affordable to all Ethiopians. In addition to forming the First National Cancer Committee, Roman also played a leading role in initiating Ethiopia's national cancer strategy and the building of five advanced and specialized cancer treatment hospitals. Roman has three children with her husband Hailemariam Desalegn.
8. Zinash Tayachew: Born on January 13, 1978, Zinash is Ethiopia's current first lady and the wife of Ethiopia's Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed. Once Zinash graduated from secondary school, she joined the military service, where she met her current husband, Abiy Ahmed. Zenash has held the role of the first lady from April 2, 2018. In this short span, Zenash has already contributed to improving and expanding Ethiopia's education sector by building dozens of schools, including schools for the disabled and the blind. She also supports various institutions for the elderly and other similar causes.