Gennet Zewide Birru (PhD) is a pioneering Ethiopian academic, statesman, and diplomat who has dedicated her career to the transformation of Ethiopia’s educational landscape and the advancement of women’s rights. As the first woman to hold a cabinet-level education ministerial position in Ethiopia, her legacy is defined by a commitment to equity, access, and institutional reform.

Academic Foundations

Dr. Damtew Woldemariam is a medical doctor with a specialization in pediatrics and child health from Addis Ababa University and obtained an M.Sc. in epidemiology from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London, with over three decades of clinical, public health, and leadership experience accumulated through working in public, UN, and international NGO sectors.