Meron Aragaw Erkihun – Ethiopia - Senior Legal Expert & Gender Rights Advocate

Meron is a highly accomplished lawyer, dynamic leader, and passionate advocate for the rights ofwomen and children. With over 12 years of professional experience eight years in the Civil Society Sector and four years in government she has consistently driven meaningful and measurable change in the areas of gender equality, legal reform, and social justice.

Her extensive civil society experience includes working with prominent organizations such as Love for Children Organization, the African Child Policy Forum, the Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association (EWLA), where she served as Executive Directress for six years, and the Civil Society Resource Center (CSRC). Throughout these roles, she has developed strong expertise in legal research, policy advocacy, capacity building, and program design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. She has also provided legal counseling, supported institutional development, and actively contributed to law reform initiatives and legislative amendments.

Meron has been deeply engaged in delivering free legal aid services to women and children who are survivors of violence. Her work has significantly contributed to the development, amendment, and implementation of laws aimed at strengthening the protection of women’s and children’s rights, as well as establishing gender-responsive systems and structures.

From 2019 to 2023, Meron served as Deputy Bureau Head of the Addis Ababa Women, Children and Social Affairs Bureau. In this role, she played a key part in initiating and contributing to the enactment of more than six directives benefiting women and children. She was instrumental in the establishment of daycare centers, the re-establishment of gender units across sector bureaus, and securing tax exemptions and government budget allocations for sanitary pad provision to female students in public schools. Her contributions also include advancing women’s economic inclusion, urban agriculture initiatives, and livelihood programs. Additionally, she led the development of a comprehensive Legal Aid Service Manual to ensure survivors of gender-based violence receive integrated legal and psychosocial support.

Meron has held influential leadership roles at both national and international levels. She has served on the board of UN Women’s Civil Society Advisory Group, the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA Network), and the Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association (EWLA). She has also contributed as a volunteer advisor on Gender, Youth, and Social Inclusion issues for UN Women and the FDRE House of Peoples’ Representatives. Her leadership extends to her role as a member of the Executive Committee of the Ethiopian Civil Society Organizations Forum and the Ethiopian Civil Society Law Reform Committee.

Currently, Meron is a member of the East African Law Society and serves in board leadership positions, including as Chairwoman of Inspire Ethiopia and a board member of the Ethiopian Women Development Organization. She has also contributed to the Addis Ababa Women Association and the Addis Ababa Women Federation through board and executive committee roles.

In addition to her institutional contributions, Meron provides consultancy services, offering expert guidance and technical support in women’s and youth empowerment, gender equality, gender-based violence, and broader social development issues.

Driven by her unwavering commitment to justice, Meron continues to advocate for the promotion and protection of the rights of women and children. She actively uses both mainstream and social media platforms to raise awareness, influence policy, and amplify voices for gender equality and social inclusion.