Hassena Eberahim Biography

Full Name:  Hassena Eberahim

Age: 24

Country: Ethiopia

Current occupation: Girls Vision Initiative Steering Committee (SC) member and Malala Fund Girls Fellowship Cohort 2 Fellows.

Activism: Girls Education/Right & Gender Equality Activist

Contact Information (Email and Phone):  hassenaeberahim2023@gmail.com  Phone: +251-0974846264

Professional Biography (brief description of your background, expertise, and accomplishments):

Hasseba Eberahim is born on June, 11, 2000 in Woderagie village of Dewe Woreda/District which is found in Afar National Regional State in Ethiopia.  She is one of luckiest pastoral girl because she is completed her secondary education. Now a day, she is joined to Semera University and she is learning in public Health department as 2^nd year student.

She is an energetic girls’ education/right activist.  She has devoted her teenager to advocating for girls’ education right as a girl’s education/right activist in Afar pastoral regional state Ethiopia.  

In the journey of her girls’ education activist in Ethiopia, Afar region, she is involved in many projects of Afar community Initiative Sustainable Development Association (ACISDA) as volunteer including ‘’Reduce Neonatal Mortality Rate and Improving Maternal Health through Reduction of FGM’ project’ and ‘’Addressing the Education Barriers of Pastoral Girls through Improving Social norms, Promoting Gender Inclusive Education, and upgrading Inadequate Learning Conditions for Girls project’’. In line with this, Ms. Hassena is working with (ACISDA)  which is youth led organization to fighting barriers of pastoral girls’ education which are child marriage, harmful traditional practice (HTPs) including FGM/C, other forms of violence against women and girls, and gender discrimination.

As a girls’ education activist she has since become a strong voice for girls in her community and country through meeting with parents as mentor, speaking at public gathering, space; relief distribution days, marketing days, and other social events to change the attitude of Afar pastoral parents towards on their gender social norms. In the same vein, In 2018 she has produced and wrote poem and involved it in role plays/dramas that to change the attitude of parents and the wider pastoral people social norms in the direction of women and girls rights, harmful traditional practice (HTPs) and including FGM/C.

Besides, as part of her Anti-FGM/C school club activity she is working jointly with parent teachers and student committees (PTSCs), clan and religious leaders, girls’ parents, and Women and Children Affair Office.  As a result of her girls’ education activist, she has convinced several families who did not want allow their daughter s to go to school due to their gender social norms   Therefore, a total of 47 dropout girls have return back to school as for her incredible contribution. As for her tremendous contribution to pastoral girls’ education, she has received several awards. In 2018 she has nominated as FGM Ambassador and received a recognition certificate including gifts from (The Girl Generation UK) through working with (ACISDA) and also in 2019 she has received an honorable award certificate from the Afar National Regional State (ANRS) Bureau of Women and Children Affair as her significant contribution to fight gender based violence that affected pastoral girls education.

She is also passionate about sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) and access to inclusive education particularly children with disability and post-conflict affected internal displaced young women and girls.   Currently, she is being one of 5 member of Girls Vision Initiative Steering committee (SC) after long journey of her girls’ education/right activist.