MEAZA ASHENAFI (ETHIOPIA)
Meaza Ashenafi has been referred to as one of the most respected women in Ethiopia. She served as a high court judge and in 1995 founded the Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association. In 2008 she was nominated for the US State Department-sponsored International Women of Courage award among other recognitions.
A recognised women’s activist, Ashenafi recently became a businesswoman leading the newly formed Enat Bank (Mother Bank). The bank works to develop the income-generating capacity of women in Ethiopia.