Kerry Irwin

Desset Abebe—The Enabler “I believe in continuous self-development; only a developed self can give back to society. I always ensure that my passion is reflected in my work.” Desset Abebe, AWiB 2022 President Born and raised in Addis Ababa, Desset is a fervent reader--a passion inherited from a voracious reader mother. She read novels written by renowned authors such as, የልምዣት by Hadis Alemayehu and የታንጉት ሚስጥር by Berhanu Zerihun at a tender age of 11. Desset describes her younger self as an outgoing, assertive, justice-seeking, and friendly person, which she carried into adulthood. Desset has a Bachelor in Laws (LLB) from Haromaya University, a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Political Science and International Relations from Addis Ababa University, and a Master of Laws (LLM) in Human Rights and Democratization in Africa from Pretoria University in South Africa. Desset worked in the public sector in various positions. Desset is one of the five legal experts who drafted Ethiopia’s Country Reports to more than 5 international and regional human rights treaty bodies while working for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia. This Tripartite project connected her with the UN Office of the High Commission for Human Rights and the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC), which she ended up working for. Desset was motivated to earn her Master’s in Human Rights and came back to rejoin EHRC. Her next move was joining UN Women, where she still is a part of as a Program Specialist for a Women in Leadership and Governance Program. In UN Women, Desset began as a United Nations Volunteer (UNV) and climbed the ladder to handle programs in Gender Equality & Women’s participation in politics and leadership as well as a program on Women’s Peace & Security. She launched the organization’s first-ever comprehensive program in 2017 on women's participation in politics and leadership that impacted the lives of women leaders from the Federal to the grassroots level. She now leads UN Women’s program on Women’s Leadership and Political Participation that continues to expand through a strong vision and team effort, promoting women’s participation in politics, public life, and leadership in Ethiopia. As someone who loves growth and self-development, Desset always challenges herself and strives to be the best at what she does. Desset is committed to implementing her vision of empowering women through developing strategies, creative thinking, and networking for impact. She loves her position with UN Women, for it connects her with women leaders from all over Ethiopia. She also collaborates with community & religious leaders, media outlets, lawmakers from the House of People’s Representatives, and leaders in Democratic Institutions as well as in gender machineries. Desset gets satisfaction from helping women to unlock their leadership potential and give their best selves to their country. She said, “I like the fact that we can bring all these actors to work towards one goal, to ensure that Ethiopian women get their rightful place in positions of power. If women could lead and get their voices heard, we would move in the right direction into a more peaceful, prosperous, and developed state… Desset seeks the opportunity to be part of different networks to share her knowledge & skills. She was a Board President for the Young Women Christian Association (YWCA) and volunteered at the Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association (EWLA). Desset pays forward as a productive citizen, doing her job with integrity, passion, and a vision toward unlocking the potential of Ethiopian women to lead for positive change. When asked about her most important accomplishment, she says it is her commitment to continuous improvement….to know better and to do better. She believes in herself and is committed to being her best. She aims to be an honest citizen and to make a positive impact beyond herself. Her desire is to impact others by her infectious vision. Upon further reflection, Desset mentioned that a turning point in her life was embracing feminist principles. She describes embracing feminism as having an entirely new worldview to recognize the elephant in the room— patriarchy. Even though she had a Law degree as well as a Master’s in Human Rights, she says she did not see the state women were in as well as the context she herself was operating in. She claims that not understanding the premise of gender inequality has repercussions in society. When she gets spare time, Desset reads. Books are Desset’s friends and refuge. Her interest ranges from politics and leadership to philosophy, yoga, and meditation. Desset’s advice for the younger generation is ሁሉ ተፈቅዷል ሁሉ ግን አይጠቅምም (Everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial); she suggests the youth to choose wiser. She asserts that our life is our own making. “Your life is like clay dough in your hands; you can engineer yourself and your life. Be intentional in what you’re going to create.” She quoted Sean Patrick Flanery, “Do something today that your future self will thank you for,” and Ayn Rand, “The question isn’t who’s going to let me, it’s who is going to stop me.” Desset believes that the only person in life who could be an obstacle to our vision is ourselves; therefore, the power is in our hands to push past the blocks. She advises women to be careful whom they marry. She stated that being a feminist helped clarify her priorities and what kind of person she wanted to marry. Desset is most grateful for her mother and husband. She attributes her character and philosophy in life to her mother. She is also grateful for her supportive husband, her fan and support system; he encourages her in all her endeavors. She asserts that being a married woman with kids can be difficult to push for your dreams without a supportive husband. Desset acknowledges the importance of having spaces like AWiB that document the journeys of all the incredible Ethiopian Women. She wants her 4-year-old daughter to grow up reading all their stories for inspiration and join this network that strives to bring positive change powered by the indomitable spirit of Ethiopian women. Desset is adamant that these platforms must be available throughout Ethiopia. For this reason, she is happy to be part of the AWiB movement and hopes it will expand and go to the grassroots level. AWiB is ever so grateful for this courageous woman to come on board during a trying time to support, re-strategize, and re-brand the association for sustainability for a long time to come. AWiB wishes Desset a smoother path in her next journey in life.