September 2025

Celebrating the She Leads Journey! On September 23, 2025, NEWA, has proudly hosted the Closure Program of the “She Leads” Project at the Hilton Hotel in Addis Ababa. For the past five years, under the project “Enhancing Girls and Young Women (GYW),” NEWA has worked to strengthen the collective voice and action of girls and young women, supporting their meaningful participation in both formal and informal institutions, influencing decision-making spaces, and advancing their rights. The program opened with a warm welcoming remark by Ms. Ilham Mohammed, President of EYWV, followed by an inspiring speech from Ms. Mistir Alebachew, Program Manager of NEWA, who highlighted the remarkable journey of She Leads, the resilience of young women leading the movement, and the responsibility of all stakeholders to ensure that the momentum continues beyond the project. A powerful keynote address was then delivered by Ms. Mahlet Amare, delegate of MoWSA, alongside Mr. Girma Amneta, TDH-NL Country Director. The event brought together the Ethiopian Young Women Voice (EYWV), Government Officials, partners, House of People Representatives, Child Parliamentarians, NEWA members, Youth-led CSOs, Partners, Donors and key stakeholders to celebrate the project’s achievements and reaffirm their collective commitment to sustaining the movement of girls and young women.  Highlights of the day included:  A presentation on the five-year journey of EYWV showcasing opportunities, achievements, and challenges. An engaging Q&A session with participants. A thought-provoking panel discussion on “Opportunities and Challenges in Advancing EYWV Sustainability” was held, featuring representatives from the Ministry of Education, the HPR Women’s Caucus, EYWV delegates, and CSO representatives as panelists. The discussion explored the opportunities available for girls and young women, while EYWV delegates shared the threats and challenges they faced throughout their journey. An inspiring intergenerational dialogue — creating a space for experience-sharing and leadership lessons between youth and senior experts in leadership, media engagement, communication, and human rights advocacy, bridging understanding across generations. The program concluded with closing remarks by Mr. Girma Amneta and Ms. Mistir Alebachew, reaffirming their commitment to ensuring that the voices of girls and young women remain strong and influential. Though the She Leads Project has formally closed, its legacy lives on, in every empowered voice, in every leadership lesson shared, and in every bold step that girls and young women in Ethiopia will continue to take.

NEWA successfully provided a two-days Capacity Building Training on Women, Peace and Security (WPS), Gender-Based Violence (GBV), and Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (CRSV) NEWA successfully provided a two-days Capacity Building Training on September 18-19, 2025 on Women, Peace and Security (WPS), Gender-Based Violence (GBV), and Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (CRSV) to Media Professionals at Mado Hotel, Addis Ababa. The training focused on ethical, accurate, and impactful reporting on Women, Peace and Security (WPS), Gender-Based Violence (GBV), and Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (CRSV). This capacity building training is part of the project titled ‘’Building Localization and Resilience for the Women’s Peace and Security Agenda’’ with support from ACCORD.

NEWA in partnership with UN Women, held a 3-day training on Violence Against Women in Politics and Elections (VAWiP/E) September 1–3, 2025 | Best Western Premier Hotel, Addis Ababa – The Network of Ethiopian Women’s Associations (NEWA), in partnership with UN Women, held a 3-day training on Violence Against Women in Politics and Elections (VAWiP/E), as part of the UN Women-funded initiative “Empowerment and Representation: Advancing Political Inclusion for Women and Persons with Disabilities in Ethiopia.” Bringing together 35 participants (31 women & 4 men) from the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs, National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE), Women Rights Organizations (WROs), Organizations of Persons Organizations (OPDs), networks, and coalitions. The training aimed to deepen understanding of VAWiP/E—its forms, causes, and impacts—and foster collaborative action planning to strengthen political party practices and prevent violence.Highlights included: Global & regional trends in women’s political participation Online violence & digital safety (META/Facebook) CSOs’ roles in prevention, response & advocacy EMB responsibilities across the electoral cycle Police & security sector engagement Political party experiences & inclusive practices Cross-party collaboration & sector-specific action plans The Training was opened by Doris Mpoumou, UN Women’s Special Representative to the AU & UNECA, and concluded with remarks from Saba G/Medhin, NEWA Executive Directress.Together, we move closer to ending violence against women in politics and building a more inclusive, democratic Ethiopia.