Wotebe_Este_Alemayehu

Ethiopian social reformer who pioneered women's education and healthcare access

Wotbet Esté Alemayehu (1910-1968) was a trailblazing Ethiopian activist whose work transformed women's rights and healthcare in her country. As a member of Emperor Haile Selassie's court, she leveraged her unique position to establish Ethiopia's first modern midwifery school in 1938, training over 2000 healthcare workers by 1950. Her 1942 report Women's Health in Rural Ethiopia exposed maternal mortality rates 10x higher than global averages, prompting the first national health policies targeting women's care.

Ms. Alemayehu's mobile health initiatives used donkey caravans to deliver vaccines and prenatal care to remote areas, a model later adopted by UNICEF. She also founded Addis Ababa's first women's university in 1955, which today educates 12,000 students annually. Her advocacy led to Ethiopia's 1960 Family Code reforms, which gave women legal rights to inheritance and divorce for the first time.

Recent studies show her work laid groundwork for Ethiopia's current health system - a 2021 Lancet article credits her midwifery programs with a 70% reduction in maternal deaths by 1970. Her memoir Pathways to Progress remains required reading at African public health institutions. The Wotebe Este Institute continues her mission, operating 30+ rural clinics across Ethiopia.