Aisha Mohammed
አይሻ መሀመድ
Aisha Mohammed Mussa speaks with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Indonesia in 2021
Minister of Irrigation and Lowland Areas Development
Assumed office
6 October 2021
PresidentSahle-Work Zewde
Prime MinisterAbiy Ahmed
Preceded byposition established
Minister of Urban Development and Construction
In office
18 April 2019 – 6 October 2021
PresidentSahle-Work Zewde
Prime MinisterAbiy Ahmed
Minister of Defense
In office
16 October 2018 – 18 April 2019
PresidentSahle-Work Zewde
Prime MinisterAbiy Ahmed
Preceded bySiraj Fegessa
Succeeded byLemma Megersa
Personal details
Born1970 (age 53–54)
Ethiopian Empire

Aisha Mohammed Mussa is an Ethiopian engineer and politician who is currently serving as Minister of Irrigation and Lowland Areas Development since 6 October 2021. She previously served as Defense Minister from October 2018 until 18 April 2019, and Minister of Construction and Urban Development from 18 April 2019 to 6 October 2021.

Early life and education

Aisha Mohammed is a Muslim from the country's Afar Region in the north east Ethiopia.[1][2] She has a degree in Civil Engineering and a masters in Transformational Leadership and Change.[3]

Career

Mohammed is a civil engineer and previously served as construction minister.[4][5] She also served as Minister of Tourism and Culture.[6][7] She was appointed Defence Minister by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on 16 October 2018, one of ten women appointed to the twenty member cabinet, making Ethiopia and Rwanda the only African countries to have equal gender representation in their cabinets.[1][8] Mohammed was the country's first female defence minister.[9] On 18 April 2019, she was appointed Minister of Urban Development and Construction.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b "Ethiopia's Abiy gives half of ministerial posts to women". BBC. 16 October 2018. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  2. ^ "Half of Ethiopia's new cabinet women, including Muslim defense minister". Daily Sabah. 16 October 2018. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  3. ^ a b "Ethiopia Appoints New Defense and Foreign Ministers". Africa News. 19 April 2019. Archived from the original on 30 April 2019. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  4. ^ Tadesse, Fasika (20 October 2018). "Ethiopia: 'Competence, Gender Constitute' Cabinet". Addis Fortune. All Africa. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  5. ^ Mubangizi, Odomaro (24 October 2018). "Queens of Sheba: Dr. Abiy's feminised cabinet". Pambazuka News. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  6. ^ The Statesman's Yearbook 2017: The Politics, Cultures and Economies of the World. Palgrave Macmillan. 28 February 2017. p. 451. ISBN 9781349683987.
  7. ^ "Ethiopia Outlines New Tourism Strategy". The Worldfolio. Ethiopia Online. 4 February 2016. Archived from the original on 17 May 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  8. ^ "Ethiopia gets first female defence minister". News 24. 16 October 2018. Archived from the original on 19 April 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  9. ^ Burke, Jason (17 October 2018). "Women win half of Ethiopia's cabinet roles in reshuffle". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 January 2019.


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