Azeb Mesfin Haile (

Amharic Amharic ( or ; (Amharic: ), ', ) is an Ethiopian Semitic language, which is a subgrouping within the Semitic branch of the Afroasiatic languages. It is spoken as a first language by the Amharas, and also serves as a lingua franca for all oth ...

and ; born 21 December 1966) is an Ethiopian politician who was the second

First Lady of Ethiopia First Lady of Ethiopia ( Ge'ez: የኢትዮጵያ ቀዳማዊት እመቤት) is a title for the wife of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Prime Minister. Officially the concept of First Lady applied in Ethiopian politics since 1995. A ...

from 2001 to 2012. Azeb is the widow of Ethiopian Prime Minister

Meles Zenawi Meles Zenawi Asres (Tigrinya and ; , born Legesse Zenawi Asres; 9 May 1955 – 20 August 2012) was an Ethiopian soldier and politician who served as President of Ethiopia from 1991 to 1995 and then Prime Minister of Ethiopia from 1995 until his ...

. She is the founder and patron of National Initiative for Mental Health of Ethiopia. In early 2009, she was appointed CEO of the Endowment Fund for the Rehabilitation of Tigray by its head Abadi Zemu.

Early life

Azeb was born in rapart and raised in Gadarif, Eastern Sudan. She is from her peasant farmer father Mesfin Haile and mother Konjit Gola. Her maternal grandfather, Gola Goshu was as an Italian Askari during the

Second Italo-Ethiopian War The Second Italo-Ethiopian War, also referred to as the Second Italo-Abyssinian War, was a war of aggression which was fought between Italy and Ethiopia from October 1935 to February 1937. In Ethiopia it is often referred to simply as the Itali ...

(1935–1936). Following his action to the country, Gola was killed by Ethiopian patriots. By her early age, Azeb raised with her aunt Maniahlosh Gola who is the daughter of this "Fitawrari" who had this title by Italian invaders to mean commander of the vanguard; which was feudal era military title. Azeb was married to Ethiopian Prime Minister

until his death in 2012. Together they had three children: Semhal, Marda and Senay Meles.

Career

She was elected in 2005 to the

House of Peoples' Representatives The House of Peoples' Representatives is the lower house of the Ethiopia, Ethiopian Federal Parliamentary Assembly. Located in the capital Addis Ababa, the House has 547 members. All are elected in theory for five-year term in single-seat constit ...

(the lower House of the

Ethiopian Parliament The Federal Parliamentary Assembly ( am, የፌዴራል ፓርላማ ምክር ቤት, Ye-Fēdēralawī Parilama Mikir Bēt) is Ethiopia's federal legislature. It consists of two chambers: *The House of Federation (upper chamber) *The House ...

) representing her home

woreda Districts of Ethiopia, also called woredas ( am, ወረዳ; ''woreda''), are the third level of the administrative divisions of Ethiopia – after ''zones'' and the '' regional states''. These districts are further subdivided into a number of ...

Welkait Welkait (also spelled Wolkait or Wolqayt; is a woreda which was historically part of the northern Amhara region of Gonder in Ethiopia. Following the fall of the communist Derg regime and ascension to power of the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front ...

and

Humera Humera (; ) is a town in the Kafta Humera woreda in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Located in the Western Zone the town has an elevation of above sea level. The Tekezé river borders the town to the north. Humera is a very important regional a ...

, and serves as chair of its Social Affairs Standing Committee. Her role has at times been controversial, with some members of

Ethiopian diaspora Ethiopians are the native inhabitants of Ethiopia, as well as the global diaspora of Ethiopia. Ethiopians constitute several component ethnic groups, many of which are closely related to ethnic groups in neighboring Eritrea and other parts of ...

alleging that, during the period in which she was an executive at the parastatal Mega Corporation, she was involved in "the impropriety of mingling public, private and party-owned businesses." However Azeb is also known for her work to teach rural Ethiopians about the issues of

HIV/AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ...

Her appearance at a special ceremony to honor the First Ladies of Africa for their efforts against the spread of HIV/AIDS held by

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...

of Washington DC on 15 January 2007 was met by protests of exiled Ethiopians." The University was awarding its "John Thompson Legacy of a Dream Award" to the Organization of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS for its leadership and service toward the ideals of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Mesfin was to accept the award on behalf of the organization along with the first ladies of Zambia and Rwanda. She started the organization "Ethiopian Coalition of Women against HIV/AIDS" and continues to work closely with community leaders to ensure the rights of women, fight harmful traditional practices and HIV/AIDS.Ethiopian Coalition of Women against HIV
/ref> She said the award she received is not just for her organization but for the entire Ethiopian women declaring "the award is the result of the relentless struggle waged by Ethiopian women.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Azeb Mesfin 1966 births 20th-century births Living people Members of the House of Peoples' Representatives Spouses of prime ministers of Ethiopia First Ladies of Ethiopia Ethiopian businesspeople Ethiopian Orthodox Christians Ethiopian women's rights activists People from Tigray Region 21st-century Ethiopian women politicians 21st-century Ethiopian politicians

Early life

Career

See also

References