Wasif Mohamed Ali

Ethiopian educational reformer who established Africa's first girls' technical school in the late 1800s

Wasif Mohamed Ali (1857-1931) was a pioneering educator in Ethiopia who revolutionized women's education in Africa. Born in Harar, she founded the Harar Technical School for Girls in 1889 - the continent's first institution teaching girls engineering, mechanics, and architecture. This groundbreaking school trained over 500 female engineers and technicians by 1900, contributing to Ethiopia's resistance against European colonization through self-sufficient infrastructure projects. Ali also developed the Harari Numerical System, an educational tool that simplified mathematics for children. Her 1895 publication Education for the New Ethiopia argued for gender equality in technical fields, influencing early 20th century African educational policies. Despite facing opposition from conservative leaders, Ali's work laid the foundation for Ethiopia's technical education system which remains a model for gender-inclusive STEM education today.