![10 African women who have held prominent political offices on the continent](https://cdn.face2faceafrica.com/www/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Sahle-Work_Zewde_in_2016.jpg)
Sahle-Work Zewde (President of Ethiopia)
Sahle-Work Zewde has been President of Ethiopia since 2018. She was elected via a unanimous decision by the Federal Parliament, making her the first woman to ever hold the position in the country. However, her role is ceremonial as head of state, while most executive powers are held by the prime minister, who is the head of government.
Before her current role, Sahle-Work held many diplomatic positions, including the Ethiopian Ambassador to Senegal with accreditation to Mali, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Gambia, and Guinea, and the Under-Secretary-General, Head of the United Nations Office to the African Union.