Championing Gender-Inclusive Leadership in Health

Kashech Bekele is 31 years old and works at Shebe Sombo Woreda as the Head of the Shebe Sombo Woreda Health Office. She is married and has two children. She has a total of 13 years of work experience in various roles within the health sector. Her career began after completing high school at Shebe Woreda Hawi, followed by a Diploma from Metu Science College and a Degree from Jimma Rift Valley Campus. Throughout her experience, she has worked as a Level 3 Extension Health Professional for 1 year at Mechi Health Post, as a Health Practitioner for 2 years at Yange Health Post, and spent 2 years in the Woreda Health Communication Bureau.

In her current role, Kashech has been a woreda health bureau head health for over two and a half years, and her extensive background and experience have played a pivotal role in advancing women’s leadership within the local health sector. Recognizing the importance of gender representation, she made a bold and strategic decision to ensure that at least two women are assigned to each health center as board members and as part of the management committee.

Her Transformative Impact

Kashech has been a source of inspiration to all women involved in the forum and in the  training. She continues to lead by example, motivating other women within her woreda. Despite carrying multiple responsibilities, including carrying out her responsibilities at the woreda,caring for her family, she demonstrates what strong women leaders can achieve. Seeing women like Kashech, who have been featured in profile videos, has inspired participants in the training to speak up, take initiative, and pursue leadership opportunities. Because of her leadership, many women in the woreda have become more motivated to take ownership of their projects, actively engage in workshops, and position themselves for promotions in their respective career paths.

As a direct result of Kashech’s direct support and advocacy to the women and health center, more than 10 women have been appointed to leadership positions on health center boards, and 19 women now hold decision-making roles across the woreda’s health sector, serving as department heads, management committee members, board members, and worker representatives. Her support goes beyond verbal encouragement, but practically showing the women as she took on multiple responsibilities to ensure that women in the health centers did not miss out on the workshop sessions. She also diligently delegated tasks, making sure that the health center continued to function smoothly in her absence while away for training herself. These achievements reflect Kashech’s visionary leadership and commitment to gender-inclusive governance, opening doors for countless women and setting a powerful precedent for inclusive leadership across the region.

Empowering Future Leaders Results and Impact

Her direct impact can be seen in Fetia Oli who was appointed as Head of Anja Health Center in Shebe Sombo Woreda. In fact, today, over 50% of Anja Health Center’s management team is composed of women and other inspired women can be seen across the woreda that pursued leadership and decision-making roles which was made possible due to the support of having Kasech at the woreda level who understood their challenges and worked alongside them. For the work that the team does, this was a true testament that demonstrated the truth that empowered women empower others.

To institutionalize these gains, the woreda also implemented several innovative strategies, including Governing Board Sensitization sessions to promote gender-equity awareness, Woreda Women’s Forums that provide safe spaces for women to network and share experiences, and the High-Impact Leadership Program (HIL) offering targeted training for women in healthcare governance roles. The projects virtual and in person mentorships, peer support along with coaching and supportive supervision, helped build capacity and ensure accountability in the long run for Kasech and others to continue to be encouraged and grow in their field. In addition to these, the digital networking platforms created for peer-to-peer further fostered peer learning and connection among women leaders.

For Kasech, she noted that key achievements include increased awareness and commitment to gender equity through board sensitization sessions, enhanced collaboration and confidence via regular women’s forums, and strengthened leadership capacities through the HIL training. The ripple effect of leadership is evident with several women under leadership having joined facility governing boards, and individuals

Lessons Learned and Way Forward 

Looking at Kasech, several important lessons can be highlighted including but not limited to investing in one woman’s leadership capacity creates a ripple effect, as female leaders mentor others and build a sustainable pipeline of women in leadership. Gender-inclusive leadership benefits everyone, producing stronger and more responsive health systems. Safe spaces, such as forums and mentorship networks, are essential to build confidence and increase participation. Finally, systemic support from woreda and regional leaders is crucial to ensure the long-term sustainability of gender equity initiatives.

Shebe Sombo Woreda has become a beacon of gender-inclusive leadership in Ethiopia’s health system. This transformation demonstrates that when women are empowered, they empower others creating sustainable, inclusive change in healthcare governance and service delivery.