Name of the staff: Seblewongiel Ayenalem (PhD)

• Department: Social Work
• Position/Status: Associate Professor
• E-mail Address: seblewongiel@gmail.com
• Phone:+251-918-284070

Biography

I earned a PhD in Social Work and Social Development. I have a 2 decades experience in higher academic institutions as an academician, researcher, and community development worker. My professional experiences mainly focus on social determinants of maternal and child health, women and politics, peace and conflict, and social protection of vulnerable women and children. In terms of leadership, I have served as the dean for graduate office and the Head of Social Work Department, at Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia. Moreover, I had served as a board member at Mekdella Amba University.  I have also opportunities to work in with different national and international organizations. For instance, with Plan International organization as youth advocate and lobbyist for sexual and reproductive health rights; served as a senior social development researcher for World Bank in the preparation of a social protection for the Ethiopian Fisheries Master Plan. With UNICF, I carried out an assessment on the implementation of the Ethiopia social protection policy. With SOAS University of London, I explored the role of parliamentarians in tackling child marriage. With Oxfam, Ethiopia, I have conducted an assessment on the status, needs, and priorities of women in in conflict and non-conflict situations in Ethiopia. With the British Council, I studied the role of university students in peace building efforts in Ethiopia.

Awards and Honors

1. Fellow of the 2017 East African Leadership Initiative Fellowship for Young African Leaders (YALI), Kenya 
2. Fellow of the 2018 Demographic & Health Survey Program, implemented by ICF and USAID, USA. 
3. Honored a basic consultant of positive psychotherapy from the World Association for Positive and Transcultural Psychotherapy (WAPP), Mental Health Project Ethiopia, International Academy for Positive and Transcultural Psychotherapy (IAPP), Peseschkian Foundation, Germany.
4. Teaching Experience:  July 2005-Present (19 years)
5. Research interests: Social Protection, Gender, Maternal and Child Health
6. Research projects since joining BDU:

• Conducted study that aims to explore the Role of University Youths in Peace-building Efforts in Ethiopia. Client: EUPE project for Enabling University Peace Education in Ethiopia (2023/24)
•  Conducted a study on the current status of women, their needs and priorities in conflict and non-conflict situations in Ethiopia. Client:  Oxfam and Network of Ethiopia Women Associations (2023)
• Conducted a study on Dynamics of Conflict, Mediation, and Negotiation in the Northern Part of Ethiopia, With Network of Ethiopian Women Association (2022)
• Worked as social Development expert for the national assessment for the Preparation of Fisheries and Aquaculture Master Plan of Ethiopia. Funded by World Bank, with Ministry of Agriculture & LFSDP (2023/24)
• Conducted a Country Analysis of Human Right Based Approach for Maternal and Child Health Analysis in Ethiopia,  With UNOHCR, WHO, UNFPA Ethiopia (2022/23)
• Conducted a research on Participation of Women in Ethiopia Politics, as part of my postdoctoral fellowship at  International Institute of Social Studies (ISS), the Hague, Netherlands (2021/2022)
• Conducted an action research on the Role of Parliamentarians in Addressing Child Marriage Practices. Parliaments and People Program (P4P), SOAS London University.
• Assessing the Social Protection Policy Implementation Status in Amahra Region, Ethiopia. Grant from United Nations for Child Emergency FUND (UNICEF) and Amhara Regional Bureau of Labor and Social Affairs (2019)
• Conducted a Survey of School and Community-based Malaria Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) Project: Health Development and Anti Malaria Association (HDAMA), Bahir Dar, Ethiopia (2018)
• Conducted a doctoral study on The Relationship between Social Protection and Maternal Health for Postpartum Women (2017)

Conferences Attended

1. April 18, 2024. Experiences of University Students’ Engagement in Peace-building Efforts: The Case of Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia. Presented in a Workshop organized by Universities Peace Education (EUPE) Project in Ethiopia implemented by the British Council and co-funded by the European Union. Presented in workshop organized by social science faculty, Bahir Dar University
2. March 8, 2023. Ethiopian Invisible Women who Moved Mountains. Presented in a Regional Conference prepared by  Amahara Regional Bureau of Women, Children, and Social Affairs, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
3. March 8, 2022.  Assessment Study on the nominal and Substantiative Participation of Women in Ethiopia Federal and States Councils. Presented on a National Gender Conference, Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia
4. April, 2022. Systemic Sexual Violence: The Double Edged Sword in the Northern Conflict in Ethiopia. Presented in Dildiy Ethiopian Forum in Europe            
5. August, 2022.  Family Conflict and its Resolution Mechanisms among the Negede Woyto Community at Bahir Dar City Administration, Ethiopia.  Presented at a National Conference organized by University of Police, Ethiopia.
6. February 2021. Functioning during political reforim and crisis: The role of parliamentarian in addressing Harmful Traditional Practices in Ethiopia. Presented in a national conference organized by Secretariat of the House of People’s Representatives of the FDRE
7.  October, 2021. Family Reunification Practices for Internally Trafficked Children: The Case of Selected Families in North Gondar Zone, Amahra Region, Ethiopia. Presented in conference organized by Hope for Justice, Ethiopia
8. September, 2020. Beyond Numbers: Women’s Inclusion in the Current Political Transition Period in Ethiopia. Parliaments and People International Online Symposia Series. Virtual Symposium at London University of SOAS
9. November, 2019. The Role of Parliamentarians in Addressing Child Marriage Practices within the Framework of Global Citizenship Education in Ethiopia. Setaweet Movement Conference. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
10. May, 2018. The Dimensions and Determinants of Health-Promoting Behaviors among Postpartum Women in Bahir Dar City, Ethiopia. The 1st national research conference of Mecha demographic surveillance and field research center, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, May 14-15/2018.
11. April, 2018. The Dimensions and Determinants of Social Support among Postpartum Women in Bahir Dar City, Ethiopia. The 5th national conference of Faculty of Social Science, Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia
12. February, 2016. Challenges and Survival Strategies of Dislocated People due to Tana Beles Integrated Sugar Factory in Bambujihua Relocation Site, Benshangul Gumuz Region. Conference organized by Department of Disaster Risk Management and Sustainable Development, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia 
13. March, 2012    Assessing the Reproductive health Knowledge, Behavior and Attitude of Bahir Dar University Students. Team Research Work with Female Instructors at Bahir Dar University. Presented in Annual Seminar of Education faculty, Bahir Dar University 

Publications

1. Jemal Hassen, Dessalegn Yayeh, Seblewongiel Ayenalem, Wubshet Asnake, and Temesgen Tilahun. (2025). Synthesizing the impact of armed conflicts on food Security, livelihoods and social dynamics in Amhara region, Ethiopia. BMC Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40795-025-01013-5
2. Seblewongiel Kidanie & Eden Hailu (2024). The Role of Political Parties and Women’s Participation in Ethiopian Elections. /JAE/2024/v23i1a7 Journal of African Elections 114 DOI: 10.20940/JAE/2024/v23i1a7 
3. Worede JB, Mekonnen AG, Aynalem S and Amare NS (2022) Risky sexual behavior among people living with HIV/AIDS in Andabet district, Ethiopia:Using a model of unsafe sexual
   behavior. Front. Public Health 10:1039755. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1039755
4. Melkamu Dires Asabu and Seblewongiel Ayenalem Kidanie. (2020). Determinants of marital satisfaction in Woldia Town, Amhara Region, Ethiopia. Ethiop.j.soc.lang.stud.Vol. 7 .No.2, pp. 11-24.
5. Fekadu,G., Getahun, F., Kidanie, S. (2018). Facility Delivery and Postnatal Care Services among Mothers Who Attended Four or more Antenatal Care Visits in Ethiopia: a further analysis of the 2016 Demographic and Health Survey, ICF and USAID. Pregnancy and Childbirth(2019)19:64https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-019-22168   https://bmcpregnancychildbirth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12884-019-2216-8  
6. Seblewongiel Ayenalem (PhD) & Asfaw Muket. Challenges and Survival Strategies of Dislocated People:  The Case of Bambajihua Relocation Site, Benishangul Gumuz Region. Ethiopian Journal of Social Sciences 3 (2), 2017
7. Seblewongiel Ayenalem. (2015). Causes and Consequences of Sexual Abuse and Resilience Factors in Housemaids Working in Addis Ababa: A Qualitative Inquiry. The Ethiopian Journal of Social Sciences, 1(1), 2015. 
8. Seblewongiel Ayenalem MSW. (2013) Handbook for Public Health Social Work, edited by Robert H. Keefe and Elaine T. Jurkowski, Journal of Community Practice, 21:4, 499-500, DOI:  10.1080/10705422.2013.843990
9. Seblewongiel, A., Yusuf, L. & Ashenafi, M. (2010). Lactic Acid Bacterial Vaginosis among Outpatients in Addis Ababa. Ethiopian Journal of Health Development, 24 (3),198-204.