President Sahle-Work discusses with UNFPA chief, Finnish Red Cross Board Chair

Addis Ababa, November 3, 2023 (FBC) – President Sahle-Work received the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) Executive Director, Nathalia Kanem.

During the meeting, the UNFPA Executive Director briefed President Sahle-Work of the work of the Fund focusing on maternal health, children and women in Ethiopia.

IHME (Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation) in collaboration with UNFPA held the first meeting of the Lancet Commission in Addis Ababa.

She added that Ethiopia was chosen was because of its experience in the health sector.

For her part, the President reminded that UNFPA has been in Ethiopia for 50 years and expressed her conviction that it will grow stronger.

Meanwhile, President Sahle-Work Zewde also had talks with the Finland Red Cross Board Chairperson, Mrs. Elli Aaltonen.

The relation between the Ethiopian and Finnish Red Cross is 90 years old and remains in good status, according to the Office of the President.

The President called on the Finnish Red Cross delegates to increase support in view of the millions in need of assistance due to conflicts and natural disasters.

Furthermore, Pres. Sahle-Work also attended AU’s 3rd Consultation of Women Leaders on Positive Masculinity in Moroni/Comoros this week, which was convened under the theme “Driving Commitments Towards Women’s Economic Empowerment and Ending Violence Against Women and Girls”.

In her speech, the President said, “Although it has been 20 years since the ratification of the Maputo Protocol, which was issued to ensure the rights, social and political equality of African women, we still have a lot of work to do.”

“We need to strengthen and redouble our efforts. Many are aware of the visible forms of violence. But women suffer from the invisible and devastating psychological violence. This is why, as I always say, education is fundamental,” she underscored.

She asserted that the fate of “our girls is determined by the education we teach them today. We need to make Positive Masculinity more understood beyond the slogan and its content demystified.”

The President held talks with the President of Comoros, Azali Assoumani, President of Comoros and the current chair of African Union, on the sidelines of the conference.

She also visited the area where an Ethiopian Airlines flight crashed in November 1996 where 125 passengers and crew members aboard died and only 50 survived. She laid a wreath to commemorate the victims, per the Office of the President.