Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has given reasons for appointing an equal number of women as ministers in his cabinet.
He said his decision to appoint women was informed by his belief that they were “less corrupt than men” and would help restore peace and stability in his country.
That makes it an insignificant but commendable second country in the Continent, after Rwanda, to have equal gender representation in the cabinet.
For instance, Aisha Mohammed, a former construction minister, was named as Ethiopia’s first female defence minister. She hails from the country’s Afar region in the north-east.
Others are Muferiat Kamil, the former speaker of parliament, became the country’s first Minister of Peace. She will be overseeing the country’s intelligence and security apparatus, including the federal police.
Mahlet Hailu, Ethiopia’s deputy permanent representative to the UN, tweeted the list of new ministers:
