The third annual AWiB event to celebrate outstanding female Ethiopian leaders

The Association of Women in Business (AWiB) hosted a press conference to showcase the upcoming 2014 Women of Excellence Annual Dinner and Gala. The press conference was held on October 7, 2014 at Saro-Maria Hotel and gathered participants from the private and government media organizations, AWiB leadership as well as the 2013 WOE Sara Mohammed – Owner & Managing Director of Next Design College and Next Modeling School.
The Women of Excellence Annual Dinner and Gala, hosted by AWiB, is the foremost celebration of leadership and contribution by Ethiopian women. Each year, AWiB celebrates the dedication, ingenuity and achievement of amazing Ethiopian women, one of which will take the title of AWiB 2014 Woman of Excellence. The nominees are chosen for their vision, proven record of success, courage and compassion as demonstrated by how they have helped other women succeed. The evening is fully dedicated to celebrating their lives and work.

The stories of each nominee will be shared in a series of short videos at the event. Following 21 public nominations and 12 interviews, AWiB has shortlisted the following seven women for the 2014 Women of Excellence Award: Dr. Bogalech Gebre – Founder and Director of KMG Ethiopia, Mrs. Frealem Shibabaw – Founder and Director of Bahirdar Academy, Director of Ethiopian School Meal Initiative, Dr. Lia Tadesse – CEO and Vice Provost, St. Paul’s Hospital Millenium Medical College, Mrs. Rachel Mekuria – Former Head, Educational Television Production Division; Former Board President, The Young Women’s Christian Association, Ambassador Tadelech HaileMikael – Former Minister, Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Ambassador; Founder and Director, Women’s Development Fund, Ms. Tirhas Mezgebe – Founder and CEO, Mujujegwa Loka Women’s Development, and Mrs. Zemi Yenus – Founder and Director of NIA Foundation

The press conference, which outlined the content and importance of the event, was presided by AWiB President, Seble Hailu and board member Blen Sahilu. In her introduction, Seble stated, “The event is about celebration. It is dedicated to celebrate women who have done monumental work behind the scenes. These women are true leaders who stand for what they believe in. We bring them out and make them visible to be celebrated by their people whom they have dedicated their lives to, right here in Ethiopia. She added, “We, therefore, invited the media to echo this in the weeks to come and help us spread the word about the lives and work of these incredible women.”

Speaking on the selection process Blen Sahilu firmly noted, “Each one of the seven women, who have been selected as Women of Excellence, is worthy of the recognition thus it is no more about who wins, it is all about celebrating the life these extraordinary women have lived and taking a moment to appreciate and applaud their courage to honor their purpose”

Sara Mohammed, AWiB 2013 Women of Excellence, spoke as a guest of honor at the event and stated, “Such a recognition adds strength to those committed to excellence and inspires young people to rise above the ordinary and work hard to change their own life & their nation.”

 
The 2014 Women of Excellence Gala Dinner event will take place on Sunday, October 19h from 5:00 – 10:00 p.m. at the Sheraton Addis Hotel and will bring together about 500 corporate business executives, influential community leaders, businesswomen and entrepreneurs.

 
The evening will feature a delicious three-course dinner, musical entertainment by Tsedenia Gebremarkos, an art exhibition of great art works by Meron Assefa and Kidist Berhanu and a much-anticipated keynote speech by Kathrine Hamlin. Attire FOR the evening is Formal and National outfit. However, this Gala is more than just an opportunity to don your favorite habesha dress or tuxedo – it is an incredible opportunity to raise awareness of all the nominees’ accomplishments, ultimately enabling this country’s younger generations to think of Ethiopian women when identifying their role models.

 
Operational since April 2010, AWiB is Women’s association that is committed to the development of women as well as the recognition of inspirational female Ethiopian leaders and their important contributions to our communities. To achieve these goals, AWiB events create a platform for information-sharing and collaborative learning. AWiB membership also ensures personal and professional development through monthly and annual events, workshops and online content (news and interactive media). AWiB believes in the importance of leadership and personal development and is known as, “the organization of women whose purpose is unlocking potential.” For more information, visit www.awib.org.et