With high ambitions for the equality agenda, the country’s prime minister has appointed a new team of ministers with equal parts women and men and appointed a female president. The Ethiopian government has ambitions of creating equal opportunities in the social and economic areas, and women are increasingly making their mark as entrepreneurs and company leaders. On the visit’s first day, The Crown Princess and the development cooperation minister participated in meetings with, among others, female decision-makers, opinion formers, company leaders and entrepreneurs.

The visit also focused on Ethiopia’s role as the host country for one of Africa’s largest refugee populations. Ethiopia is one of the world’s poorest countries, and decades of population growth have led to one of the continent’s largest youth populations – 70 percent of the 108 million people in the country are under the age of 30. At the same time, Ethiopia is currently the home of the world’s largest displacement crisis with 2.9 million internally displaced persons. Drought and ethnic and political conflicts have also made Ethiopia the host country for approx. 920,000 refugees from other countries in the region.

On the second day, The Crown Princess and the development cooperation minister visited a reception center for refugees, a home for unaccompanied minors and a local school, which was built in cooperation between host and refugee communities with Danish assistance. In the evening, The Crown Princess and the development cooperation minister took part in a dinner held by the Ethiopian president.
 
See pictures from day one of the visit HERE. 

See pictures from day two of the visit HERE.