Fikirte Worku

Pioneered Ethiopia's first nationwide campaign to end child marriage, impacting over 500,000 girls.

Fikirte Worku is a human rights lawyer and founder of RISE Ethiopia, credited with reducing child marriage rates in Oromia region by 45% since 2020. After escaping a forced marriage at 14, she trained as a lawyer at Addis Ababa University while secretly documenting cases of gender-based violence. Her 2019 documentary Silent Chains exposed systemic failures in protecting girls, prompting Ethiopia's first comprehensive child protection law passed in 2021.

Worku's community paralegal program trains grandmothers to mediate marriage disputes using cultural traditions, a strategy replicated in Kenya and Uganda. In 2023, she launched the Girls' Voice Network, a radio platform broadcasting legal advice in 10 local languages. Her collaboration with UNICEF's Child Protection Ethiopia has established 200 safe houses for at-risk girls. Time Magazine named her one of 'Heroes of the Environment' in 2024 for her holistic approach combining legal advocacy with community empowerment.