Beginning a new chapter: Ethiopian Sport Journalists Association elects female vice president for the first time
by Haileegziabher Adhanom, AIPS Young Reporter, Ethiopia
ADDIS ABABA, May 22, 2017 – The newly elected Ethiopian Sport Journalists Association (ESJA) Executive Committee (EC) had appointed Hana Gebresilassie Ambaw, as its vice president, at its monthly meeting last Friday. She is the first women to take the position in the association’s sporadic but recently invigorated almost half a century of history.
Hana, 27, a Political Science and International Relations BA Degree holder from Dire Dawa University, one of the active female sport journalists in Ethiopia, was elected to take the vice presidency unanimously by Executive Committee members. With a range of work experience, the new ESJA vice president is a former senior Sport reporter at the national Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC) and is currently working as executive producer and host of weekly local radio talk show called “Olympiad” at 97.1 FM which she launched independently two years ago.
“Being the first woman sport journalist to take this position is both a privilege and huge responsibility, but, since it is my greatest interest to lift the standards of sport journalism in Ethiopia, by working together with my colleagues, I will give emphasis to take the responsibility that I bear seriously. Finally I hope that, other qualified women in different working environments will also pursue the leadership roles they deserve,” Hana told AIPS after taking over the vice presidency position.
The 11-member ESJA Executive Committee also voted that female sports journalist Konjit Teshome remain as treasurer of the association, a position which she held months ago on an interim basis.
The Executive Committee also set up five sub-committees and two commissions with different tasks, which believed to help the association move forward as it promised after taking office one month ago.
The newly setup sub-committees and Commissions are:
- Membership and Office Management: chaired by the General Secretary of ESJA Mensur Abdulkeni. Members, Konjit Teshome, Dereje Tegenaw, Dagim Zinabu and Ariyat Raya.
- Capacity Building and Ethics: chaired by Fikir Yilikal. Membres, Girmachew Kebede, Hana Gebresilassie and Haileegziabher Adhanom.
- Stakeholders Relation and Sponsorship: chaird by ESJA President Yonas Teshome. Members, Mensur Abdulkeni, Tadele Assefa and Fikir Yilikal.
- Event Management: chaired by Hana Gebresilassie. Members, Dagim Zinabu, Ariyat Raya and Konjit Teshome.
- Communication: chaired by Haileegziabher Adhanom. Members, Tadele Assefa, Girmachew Kebede and Konjit Teshome.
- Athletics Commission: Girmachew Kebede.
- Women’s Sports Affairs: Dagim Zinabu.
Source: aipsmedia.com
