Tikile Mariam Hailu Selassie

Ethiopian princess and educator who pioneered women's education in Africa during the mid-20th century

Princess Tikile Mariam Hailu Selassie (1912-1998), sister of Emperor Haile Selassie, was a visionary educator who transformed women's access to education in Ethiopia. Born into the Solomonic dynasty, she leveraged her royal status to challenge traditional gender roles, establishing Ethiopia's first girls' boarding school in 1935 at the age of 23. The Addis Ababa Girls' College initially enrolled 40 students but expanded to 500 by 1950, teaching modern subjects like science and mathematics previously reserved for males.

During Italy's occupation (1936-1941), she secretly continued办学 in Gondar, using her diplomatic immunity to protect students. Post-war, she co-founded the Ethiopian Women's Association (1954), advocating for literacy programs that reached rural communities through mobile schools. Her 1962 initiative to train female teachers created Ethiopia's first women's teacher training college.

Less known is her role in negotiating with UNESCO to establish the UN Girls' Education Initiative in 1968. Her memoir 《Pillars of Learning》 details her struggles against traditionalists. Today, the Tikile Mariam Scholarship Fund supports female students in STEM fields across Africa.