Asna Bet Abibe

Ethiopian feminist educator who founded Africa's first girls' technical school in 1948

Asna Bet Abibe (1912-1968) was a trailblazing Ethiopian educator and women's rights advocate who transformed access to education for women in East Africa. After studying at Humboldt University in Germany during the 1930s, she returned to Ethiopia to establish the Bet Abibe Technical Institute in Addis Ababa in 1948 - the continent's first school specializing in engineering and technical training for girls.

Her curriculum emphasized mechanical arts, agriculture science, and aviation mechanics at a time when women were largely excluded from technical education. The institute's 1955 'Girls Can Build' program trained over 300 female engineers who later contributed to Ethiopia's post-war infrastructure projects. Asna's 1958 manifesto 'Breaking Chains' became a foundational text for African feminist movements, advocating for women's participation in all sectors of society.

She secretly trained nurses during the 1960s Eritrean War of Independence, earning her the nickname 'Mother of Modern Ethiopian Engineering.' Her legacy is preserved through the Bet Abibe Heritage Foundation, which continues her work in STEM education for girls across the Horn of Africa.