Maria Yusuf Explained

Maria Munir Yusuf
Nationality:Ethiopian
Education:BA Law, Unity University
Occupation:Activist
Birth Place:Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Maria Munir Yusuf is founder and director of the Association for Women's Sanctuary and Development in Ethiopia.[1] [2] She also co-founded the Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association.[3]

Early life

Maria was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to Harari parents. She became involved in charitable work while still in high school, and was able to raise relief funds for the Wollo famine in collaboration with the YWCA.[4] [5]

Career

Maria began her career as a judge at the High Court of Ethiopia and following becoming a lawyer co-founded Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association (EWLA) in 1995 serving as board member with other Ethiopian women including Meaza Ashenafi and Atsedeweine Tekle.[6]

In 2003 Maria founded the "Organization against Gender Based Violence" in Ethiopia which would later be renamed the Association for Women's Sanctuary and Development (AWSAD) in 2009, the organization was the first to provide shelter exclusively for vulnerable women in the country.[7] [8] In 2011 she met with Michelle Bachelet director of UN Women who paid a visit to AWSAD.[9]

Awards & accolades

Maria was presented with the AWiB's Women of Excellence award in 2015.[10]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Ethiopia Study Tour: Family Planning, Sexual and Reproductive Health, and International Development . UK all party parliamentary group on population, development and reproductive health . 35–36 .
  2. Book: Enkuberhan . Ruth . An assessment of Integrated services from the Present and Past Shelter Users’ Perspectives: the case of Association for Women’s Sanctuary and Development (AWSAD) Shelter . Addis Ababa University . 21 .
  3. Book: Cochrane . Logan . Pathways of Legal Advocacy for Change: Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association . Routledge . 2 .
  4. Book: Wagle . Mary-Jane . Temsalet: Phenomenal Ethiopian Women . Tsehai Publishers . 99 .
  5. Book: Meet Maria Munir . Ethiopiaid .
  6. Book: Presentation by the Ethiopia Network of Women Shelters . World Shelter Conference .
  7. Book: Mengistu . Lemma . Experiences of Women Survivors of Gender-Based Violence with Surivor-Centred Approach, A case of Association for Women's Sanctuary and Development (AWSAD) Ethiopia . The University of Nairobi . 25–26 .
  8. Book: Ford . Liz . Ethiopia's safe houses offer more than shelter to violence survivors – in pictures . The Guardian .
  9. Book: Ethiopia: Regaining Hope for Life . UN Women .
  10. Book: Awarding Women's Rights Defenders . African Feminism .