Name: Mulunesh Abebe Alebachew

• Department: Social Work
• Academic Position/Status: Assistant Professor
• E-mail Address: mulunesh2014@gamil.com/mulunesh.abebe@bdu.edu.et
• Phone: 0918769179

Biography

Mulunesh Abebe Alebachew earns her BA & MA Degrees in Educational Psychology and Developmental Psychology in 2001 and 2005 respectively and her PhD in Social Work and Social Development in 2013. Mulunesh has more than 20 years of experience in academia and government offices. Throughout her career paths, she has served in lower, middle and top leadership ladders up to the level of Research and Community Service Vice President of Bahir Dar University, Head of Social and Labor Affairs Bureau at Amhara National Regional State (ANRS) and Social Cluster Coordinator at the rank of Deputy President of ANRS. Through the social cluster coordinator position, she coordinated more than 8 social cluster bureaus in ANRS including the Bureau of Health, Education, Women, Youth, Children and the Social Affairs. During her leadership experiences in academia and government, she coordinated and/or led various international, national and local partnership projects, participated in various community engagement and research projects as well as mentored many MA students’ research projects. Besides, she provided and attended various short-term capacity building trainings on various issues including leadership, gender, community development, child protection and women empowerment issues in Ethiopia and abroad. Mulunesh has taught various courses for undergraduate and postgraduate students. She has published a number of journal articles, conference papers, technical reports, book chapters and books. Mulunesh served and still serving as member/chair of board of directors of more than 10 civic and business organizations including in the bank sector. 

Awards and Honors

• Commitment Award by CVM for the contribution to the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS, save  and protection of Children, upholding the right of domestic workers. April, 2023.
• Goodwill Ambassador to serve as defender and protector of women and children as of March 26, 2022 by Amhara National Regional State Bureau of Women, Children & Social Affairs in recognition of my exemplary humanitarian contributions for internally displaced people (IDPs).
• Excellent Service Leadership Certificate provided by Bahir Dar University, November 2018.

Teaching Experience 

• Courses taught for BA/BSW students: Introduction to Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Health Social Work, Diversity and Social Work, Hospital Social Work and Counseling in Social Work.
• Courses taught for MA/MSW students: Conflict Psychology, Feminist theories, Qualitative Research, Counseling, Social Work Practice with Individuals, Families and Children, Social Policy, Social Problems and Social Policy Analysis.

Research interests

• Gender, Gender Based Violence & HTPs, Women and Agriculture, Women’s Land Right, Women Empowerment, Child Protection

Leadership Experiences 

• Social Cluster Coordinator at the rank of Deputy President and Head of Labor and Social Affairs Bureau, Amhara National Regional Sate from February 2020 to October 2021.
• Head, Bureau of Labor and Social Affairs, Amhara National Regional State from November 2018 to October 2021.
• Coordinator of Institutional University Cooperation (IUC) Program, a capacity building partnership program between Flemish Universities of Belgium and Bahir Dar University (BDU) from March 2018 to November 2018. 
• Vice President for Research and Community Service of Bahir Dar University from February 2016 to November 2018. 
• Coordinator of Postgraduate, Research and Community Service Coordinating Office of the Faculty of Social Sciences of BDU from March 2014 to November 2015.
• Head of Department of Social Work from September 2013 to August 2014.
• Chair of Chairs of Gender and Development Studies Program from September to January 2013.
• Director of Gender Office, BDU from June 2012 to November 2013.
• Coordinator of BDU Women’s Education Center from September 2005-Nov 2007. 
• Founder of Gender Office, Coordinator of it and Counselor at Gondar College of Medical Sciences, from November 2001 to October 2003.

Research projects since joining BDU

• Assessing Women's Socioeconomic Empowerment in Dejazmach Belay Zeleke Sub City of Bahir Dar, a mega research project from 2024-2026 (Principal Investigator). 
• Evaluating the Effect of Life Skills Training on the Academic Performance of Early Adolescent Girls in Public Schools of Bahir Dar City, a mega research project from 2024-2027 (member).
• Financial Capability and Asset Building in Africa (FCAB) in Collaboration with Center for Social Development (CSD) at Washington University in St. Louis (Started in 20024 and it is an ongoing research project)
• Supervised about 40 MA/MSW thesis research projects.
• Post-Doctoral fellow, Gender Expert at Nutri-HAF Africa (An Action research and capacity development Project on Rural Development from November 2015–March 2017.
• Comprehensive Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) research and training in Amhara Region- Research and community service project funded by UNICEF and Bahir Dar University, started in September 2015 (Researchteam member). 
• Impacts of Urban Expansion on Natural Resource and Livelihoods of Rural-Urban Fringes of “Mega Cities of Ethiopia.”(Project Coordinator, Gender Specialist and Principal investigator-a research project funded by USAID-LAND Project).
• Assessment of the Implementation of Rural Land Laws in the Amhara National Regional State (Member of the lead researchers team, gender specialist and research methodologist); July 2013- August 2015- funded by USAID-LAND Project.   
• Intimate Partner Violence against Women in Bahir Dar City: Exploring Women’s Coping Strategies and Their Resilience, 2013 (Dissertation Research). 
• Evaluation Research on the Effectives of CARE Ethiopia-TESFA project in Lay Gayint Woreda, April 2013: A qualitative research investigated the effectives of the intervention on ending child marriage (member of the consultant team).
• Terminal Evaluation of the “Empowerment of Women and Girls” Project of EU and ORDA in Amhara, 2012, (member of the consultant team).
• Exploring Women’s Experiences of Intimate Partner Violence, Their Coping Strategies and Resilience in Gedam Sefer, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2009, Principal Investigator (PI), funded by “Love for Children.”
• The Interplay of Gender, Disability and HIV/AIDS: Experiences and Coping Strategies of a Blind Woman Living with HIV/AIDS, 2008, (Principal Investigator).
• Major Harmful Traditional Practices (FGM, early marriage and others) and Violence against Women in South Wollo and East Gojjam Zone of Amhara Region, 2006/7, funded by SIDA Amhara Rural Development and ANRS Women’s Affair Bureau, (Research team leader and principal investigator). 

Selected Presentations/Conferences Attended

• The Importance and Sense of Urgency for Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Intervention for Conflict Affected Population in Amhara Region and in Ethiopia at Current (Key note speech. Organized by Bahir Dar University in collaboration with the Amhara Public Health Institute, February 6/2025. 
• Gender and Suitable Development (Key note speech) Presented at the 3rd National Annual Conference organized BDU Department of Gender and Development Studies, June 30/2023. 
• How to overcome life challenges and be successful in life. Provided for ‘Kefta’ Youth Network, Bahir Dar, June 10/2023.
• How to enhance women’s participation and overcome challenges in leadership. Presented for BDU staff, organized by BDU Gender & Inclusiveness Directorate in relation to the celebration of the International Women’s Day (March 8, 2023). 
• Life experience sharing and motivational speech for W/z Ayelech Admasu Elementary School Students and for Amhara Agricultural Agency (ATA) staff about women empowerment issues on March 6 & 8/2023 respectively.
• The Role of Ethiopian women in political leadership, national and peace building: Lessons Learned from yesterday for today and the future. Organized by Ministry of Women and Social Affairs: 24 March 2021, Bahir Dar Ethiopia. 
• The History of Ethiopian Women in Political Leadership: What we can learn from our women heroes in the past and its implication for women empowerment today. Organized by Amhara National Regional State Women, Children and Youth Affairs Bureau and presented at International Women’s day 2020, Bahir Dar Ethiopia. 
• Women’s Role for Women Empowerment, Gender Equality and Nation Development: Challenges and Opportunities. Presented for high and middle level women leaders of Amhara National Regional State July, 2019, Bahir Dar Ethiopia. 
• Water Resource Potentials, Challenges and its Implication for Food Security and Health in Ethiopia, October, 2018, University of Maryland, USA.
•  UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities Conference, held from November 13-18, 2016, Hangzu, China. 
• “Being a woman farmer is like being cursed”: Gender challenges in horticultural research in South Western Ethiopia, September, 19, 2016. Tropentag 2016 conference, Vienna, Austria.
• Tropentag 2016, Conference on International Research on Food Security, Natural Resource Management and Rural Development, September 18-21, 2016, Austria, Vienna, 
• Community University Partnership Program (CUPP), April, 2015, University of Brighton, England.
• Women Smallholder Farmers in Ethiopia: Challenges and Opportunities. Presented on a workshop organized entitled “Assessing transitions and transformations in smallholder agriculture with case studies from Lake Tana basin, by the Nordic-Africa Institute in Collaboration with Bahir Dar University, 27-28 August 2015, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.
• Women and Vulnerable Groups’ Landholding Rights in Amhara National Regional State. Presented on a workshop organized by USAID-LAND Project for stakeholders from all regions of Ethiopia, June 29-July 1/2015.
• Knowledge and Attitude of Civil Servants towards Affirmative Action Provision for Women Employees: A Case of Regional Bureaus in Bahir Dar City. Presented at the 2nd   Annual Conference of the Faculty of Social Sconces’ Bahir Dar University, April 16-17/2015.
• Knowledge and Attitude of Civil Servants towards Affirmative Action Provision for Women Employees: A Case of Regional Bureaus in Bahir Dar City. Presented at the 11th Annual Conference of Ethiopian Society of Sociologists, Social Workers and Anthropologists (ESSSWA) March 20-21/2015, Addis Ababa Ethiopia.
• Thriving in the Face of Marital Abuse: Exploring Coping Strategies of Women Living in Abusive Marriage in Bahir Dar Town presented on April 25/2014 at the First National Conference of the Faculty of Social Science on the theme of “Culture, Social Mobility, Governance and Development”, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.   

Selected National & International Trainings Attended

• Recent Changes in Prudential Regulation: CaFEC, in collaboration with Amhara Bank, January 03, 2025. 
• Global Market and Local Financial Trends, Corporate Governance, Strategic Thinking and Positioning, Risk Management, Capital Markets and Board Leadership by Frankfurt School of Finance and Management from June 24-28, 2024, Dubai, UAE.
• Risk Oversight and Corporate Governance Roles & Responsibilities by Anteneh Mekonnen Anti-Financial Crime, Risk & Compliance Consultant from April 17-18, 2024, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.   
• Training of trainers (TOT) on Women Political Leadership, from December 7-11/2022, organized by UN Women, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
• Transformative Leadership and Coaching Skills by UN Women, from 01-Dec-2020 to 14-May-2021, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
• Transformational Leadership: Removing constraints, equipping leaders and empowering people from November 5-7/2019 by the Federal Civil service Commission in collaboration with Petros Network and Ford Taylor Transformational Leadership Company, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.   
• Promotion of Youth Employment in the Fragile Setting by ILO from October 7-11/2019, Turin, Italy. 
• Transformative Leadership Training as a Tool for Women Political Empowerment from 15-19th July, 2019 at Nairobi Kenya organized by UN Women in collaboration with  African Centre for Transformative and Inclusive Leadership (ACTIL) at Kenyatta
  University Conference Centre (KUCC), Nairobi, Kenya.
• Female Capacity Development for Developing countries from June 6th to 26th, 2018, Fuji Province China.
• Higher Education Leadership and Management training from December 13/2016 to April 20/2017, by GIZ in collaboration with MoE (Trainings in Addis, Trainings and  six Universities Visits in Germany and the Netherlands, Individual transfer project over three months).
• Refresher training on Research Methodology in Social Science for University Professors and Supervisors of Masters and PhD students, organized by OSSREA form 19th-30th August 2013, Nairobi, Kenya.
• Child Welfare and Community Development, from August 9-21, 2009 (a training of trainers), Addis Ababa Ethiopia
• Family Based Community Development, from July 14-21, 2009 (training of trainers), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
• Group and Community Skills, From May 10-19, 2009 (training of trainers), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Trainings Provided

• Asset Based Community Development for Administrative Members, Community Members, Community Development Facilitators, Social Workers and Volunteers at Dejazmach Belay Zeleke Sub city of Bahir Dar, February 7-8, 2025. 
• Advanced Qualitative Methods using Qualitative Software (Lead-trainer), December 24-27, 2024; organized by Bahir Dar University and RTI International PReSERVE Project.
• Life Skills Training for Bahir Dar University (BDU) Students from November 23-25/2022. 
• Qualitative research methods and the research process: Training provided for women Academic staff of Gondar University, January 2016. 
• Child development, child rearing practices and how to protect children from abuse and neglect. Training provided for different stakeholders in March, May and July 2015.
• Qualitative Research Methods. Training provided for Amhara Region Supreme Court officials from June 7-10, 2015.
• Women Empowerment and Gender Equality, training provided at Bir-Adam Watershed Project of Bahir Dar University from March 14-15, 2015. 
• Child rights, child protection and the role of Social Workers in supporting and facilitating the judiciary system for child protection, training provided from February 6-8 and 10-12, organized by Amhara Region Supreme Court, 2014. 
• Life-skill training for SOS Bahir Dar Youth’s organized by SOS village Bahir Dar from Nov 9-10/2013. 
• Training on “Appreciative inquiry” for self-help women groups supported by Alem Children Aid Organization, Bahir Dar, in August, 2013.
• Para-Social Workers training for volunteer youth form May 6-20/2013, organized by Amhara Region Bureau of Labor and Social Affairs in collaboration with Bahir Dar University.
• Negative psychosocial consequences of harmful traditional practices on children and women, from November 22-23, 2009, organized by Amhara National Regional State Bureau of Labor and Social Affairs.
• Child development and parenting skills, from June 1-3, 2009 organized by Amhara National Regional State Bureau of Labor and Social Affairs.
• Gender based violence and guidance counseling techniques from Nov, 24-28, 2008 organized by the Amhara National Regional State Bureau of Labor and Social Affairs.
• Magnitude and negative consequences of female genital mutilation and early marriage in Amhara Region, presented at Regional workshop organized by Amhara Region Bureau of Social Affairs in collaboration with Save the Children Norway from Oct, 7-8, 2007.
• Major harmful traditional practices and violence against women in South Wollo and East Gojjam zones of the Amhara Region, presented at workshops organized by the Amhara Region Women’s Affairs Bureau at Dessie and Bahir Dar towns, March, 2007.

Publications

• Books:
  • Kassa Alemu and Mulunesh Abebe (2018). Handbook of Research on Sustainable Development and Governance Strategies for Economic Growth in Africa at IGI-Global, USA).
  • Kerebih A, and Mulunesh A, (2012). Major Harmful Traditional Practices and Violence against Women in Ethiopia. Book, published by VDM Verlag Dr. Müller GmbH & Co.KG: Germany.
  • Mulunesh, A. (2011). Psychosocial Characteristics of Adolescence: Nature, Opportunities, Challenges and Potential Risky Behaviors. Master’s thesis; published as a book by VDM Verlag Dr. Müller GmbH & Co.KG: Germany, ISBN: 978-3-639-300949.
• Journal articles:
  • Sarah M. Nischalke, Beneberu A, Mulunesh A, Gudrun, B. Keding (2018). Gender Challenges in horticultural research in Ethiopian and Madagascar. Article in Acta Horticulturae. DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2018.1205.16
  • Sarah M. Nischalke, Mulunesh Abebe, Beneberu Assefa, Simone K, Kriesemer, and Tina Beuchelt, (2017). Forgotten Forests? Food Potential of Ancient Coffee Forests and Agro forestry Systems in the Southern western Ethiopian Mountains, Through a Gender Lens. Mountain Research and Development, 37(3): 254-262.
  • Mulunesh A, and Kerebih, A. (2015).  Intimate Partner Violence against Women: Practice and Attitude in South Wollo and East Gojjam Zones of the Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia. The Ethiopian Journal of Social Sciences. Vol 1, No.2, 2015, pp.15-24. 
  • Kerebih, A and Mulunesh A. (2014).  Early Marriage in South Wollo and East Gojjam Zones of the Amhara Region, Ethiopia. Humanities and Social Sciences. Vol. 2, No. 2, 2014, pp. 11-16. doi: 10.11648/j.hss.20140202.11
• Book chapters:
  • Mulunesh A. (2018). Women Smallholder Farmers in Ethiopia: Challenges and Opportunities (book Chapter). In Atakilte Beyene (editor). Agricultural Transformation in Ethiopia; State Policy and Smallholder Farming. Published by ZED books in England.
  • Mulunesh A. (2017). The Resilience Perspective (book chapter). In Chang, V., Scott, S., & Decker, C (3nd ed). Developing Helping Skills. Cengage Learning, USA.
  • Mulunesh A. (2013). The Resilience Perspective (book chapter). In Chang, V., Scott, S., & Decker, C (2nd ed). Developing Helping Skills. Cengage Learning,USA.
  • Violence and Gender in the Globalized World. The intimate and Extimate by Sanja Bahun-Radnovic V.G. Julie Rajan (2008), Reviewed by Mulunesh A, (2011). Journal of Community Practice, vol19: 1-3 (Book Review).
• Published reports (Conference Proceedings)
  • Mulunesh A., Sarah N., Beneberu A., & Tina, B, (2016). “Being a woman farmer is like being cursed”: Gender challenges in horticultural research in South Western Ethiopia (Conference proceeding presented on Tropentag 2016 and published online).
  • Beneberu A. Sarah N., Mulunesh A., & Tina B. Challenges and Prospects of Farm and Non-farm Livelihood Strategies of Smallholder Farmers in Yayu Biosphere Reserve, Ethiopia. A qualitative Analysis (Conference proceeding presented on Tropentag 2016 and published online).
  • Mulunesh A., Selam L. (2014), Knowledge and Attitude of Civil Servants towards Affirmative Action Provisions for Women Employees: A Case of Regional Bureaus in Bahir Dar City (Journal of Ethiopian Sociologists, Social Workers, and Anthropologists).
• Review articles:
  • Reviewed numerous journal and conference articles.