Page 8 - Winning Women 2017

8 BWASA

AFRICA’S ACTIVISTS: INSPIRING,

POWERFULLY
POWERFULLY

FEARLESS
FEARLESS

From drafting
Ethiopia’s constitution
to defending poor

women in court,
Meaza Ashenafi is
changing the paths of
the powerless

ALISON VISSER

hen the Ethiopian Women
Lawyers Association was
Westablished in 1995 there were
no Amharic words for “violence against
women” or “sexual harassment” –
gender issues were simply not on the
national agenda.
But women such as Meaza Ashenafi,
the association’s then director, set out
to change that, advocating for the
removal of discriminatory laws and
providing legal aid to thousands of
underprivileged women.
Ashenafi is motivated by injustice
and inequality.
“The position of women [in Ethiopia]
is weak – economically, politically and
socially … They lack strong voices, their
economic power is constrained, their
social rights are compromised, and
they are not powerfully organised.
“On the other hand, slowly but
surely, the story is changing. Women
are becoming key players in the
country’s economic and social life. PHOTO: GETTY
“Access to education has improved
their participation in the labour force very proud that I was involved in its needs, which were ultimately
and attention is being paid to women’s establishment.” incorporated into the 1995 constitution.
health. However we need to learn from How does she get it all done? The source of her inspiration comes
other African countries such as “I have a supportive husband who from home, from “my mother and
Uganda, Kenya and South Africa for a shares my world view, vision and African women who do miracles to
more assertive voice on issues of passion. He is fully involved in raising raise their families and maintain their
concern though independent our two smart and adorable girls.” communities under difficult conditions.
organisations and action.” In 1981, Ashenafi joined a class of 50 They are my everyday heroines! I am
One of her proudest achievements men at Addis Ababa University and inspired by Africa’s women activists.
was leading the establishment of Enat graduated with an LLB degree. Later They are so powerfully fearless!
Bank, which has a special focus on she did her MA degree in international “I want to leave behind a legacy of
women. Today, women own 64% of it, affairs and gender studies at the resilience, resistance and collective
and hold many major leadership University of Connecticut in the US. effort to challenge and change what
positions – from senior bank She worked as a judge until 1992, and the powerful do to keep the powerless
management to the board of directors. in 1993 became a researcher for the excluded and voiceless.”
Ashenafi has been the founding chair Ethiopian Constitution Commission. In • Ashenafi delivered the keynote
of its board since 2014. that position, she was able to be an address at the 2017 Businesswoman of
“Enat is a unique bank and I am advocate for women’s and children’s the Year Awards.