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Comment: Vague and superficial analysis such as Her work on child marriage in Ethiopia was also covered by WBEZ, which described her efforts to address child marriage and provide families with economic alternatives
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- Comment: In accordance with Wikipedia's Conflict of interest guideline, I disclose that I have a conflict of interest regarding the subject of this article. MTResearch (talk) 03:43, 7 May 2026 (UTC)
Mahdere Paulos is an Ethiopian-born lawyer, former judge, women's rights advocate, and human rights professional. She is a former Executive Director of the Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association (EWLA), where her work focused on legal aid, women's access to justice, gender-based violence, child marriage, public education, and legal reform in Ethiopia.[1][2] Her work has been cited in international discussions of women's rights, child marriage, domestic violence, and civil society in Ethiopia.[3][4]
Early life and education
editPaulos earned a law degree from Addis Ababa University. She served as a High Court judge in Addis Ababa and began practicing law in 1996.[5][4] A later biographical profile stated that she became a high-court judge at age 23.[4]
Legal career and Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association
editPaulos worked with the Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association in several capacities, including legal aid officer, paralegal trainer, board member, and Executive Director.[4] EWLA is a women's legal advocacy organization in Ethiopia that has provided legal services and advocated for reforms affecting women and children.[6]
As Executive Director, Paulos was associated with EWLA's work on legal aid, domestic violence, harmful traditional practices, child marriage, and women's access to justice.[6][7] Her work also included public education on the relationship between legal reform and social change. In a 2009 article in ONE Magazine, Paulos argued that legal reform alone was not enough to change social attitudes toward women in Ethiopia.[2]
Women's rights advocacy
editPaulos's advocacy focused in part on child marriage and gender-based violence. In 2006, the Center for Global Development and the International Center for Research on Women hosted an event titled "Too Young to Wed: Childhood Marriage and Its Implications for Development", featuring Paulos as Executive Director of EWLA. The event examined child marriage in Ethiopia and Senegal and its implications for development policy and United States foreign assistance.[8]
Her work on child marriage in Ethiopia was also covered by WBEZ, which described her efforts to address child marriage and provide families with economic alternatives. The same report stated that Paulos visited the United States Senate to introduce the International Child Marriage Prevention and Assistance Act.[9]
Paulos also participated in public education and advocacy initiatives on domestic violence. A biographical profile cited by The Woyingi Blog stated that she presented at African and international conferences, including the Joint Consortium on Gender Based Violence in Dublin, Ireland, in December 2007, and participated in speaking appearances on child marriage in Washington, D.C., Chicago, and New York.[4]
International advocacy and public work
editThrough EWLA and related advocacy work, Paulos engaged with government officials, international organizations, civil society groups, and media outlets on issues involving child marriage and gender-based violence. A biographical profile cited by The Woyingi Blog stated that she met with officials at the United States Department of State, USAID, and Congress, as well as international nongovernmental organizations and partner organizations, as part of efforts to raise awareness about child marriage.[4]
Paulos was also listed as Chairperson of the Kembatta Women Self-Help Center and the Network of Ethiopian Women Association, and as an advisory board member of Initiative Africa Organization.[4] She also presented on legal reform in Ethiopia at a regional meeting on gender-based violence in Kampala, Uganda.[7]
Public recognition and international references
editPaulos has been cited in international writing on women's empowerment and legal reform. In Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn quoted Paulos on the importance of education in women's empowerment while discussing EWLA's work in Ethiopia.[3]
Paulos also participated in international policy and justice-sector discussions. A World Bank justice-sector report included her among participants consulted for work on justice-sector issues in Africa.[10] In 2012, she was associated with the Wilson Center event "Toward a Democratic Ethiopia".[1]
Later career
editAfter her tenure with EWLA, Paulos continued working in the human rights field. She later worked as a Senior Program Officer with Freedom House's Global Human Rights Program, with work involving human rights defenders in Sub-Saharan Africa.[11]
See also
editReferences
edit- 1 2 "Mahdere Paulos". Wilson Center. 9 October 2012. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
- 1 2 Csillag, Ron (July 2009). "An Uphill Battle". ONE Magazine. Catholic Near East Welfare Association. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
- 1 2 Kristof, Nicholas D.; WuDunn, Sheryl (2009). Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide. Knopf. p. 66. ISBN 978-0-307-38709-7.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "What happened to the Ethiopian Women's Lawyer Association?". The Woyingi Blog. 11 October 2010. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
- ↑ "Attacks on Justice: The Harassment and Persecution of Judges and Lawyers, January 1996 – February 1997" (PDF). Centre for the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, International Commission of Jurists. August 1997. p. 136. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
- 1 2 "The Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association: A Story of Service, Movement-building, Survival" (PDF). Association of Women in Business. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
- 1 2 "Strengthening Regional Work on Gender-Based Violence". Raising Voices, PATH, Gender-Based Violence Prevention Network, Interagency Gender Working Group, and USAID East Africa Regional Office. 2006. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
- ↑ "Too Young to Wed: Childhood Marriage and Its Implications for Development". Center for Global Development. 2006. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
- ↑ "Child Marriage in Ethiopia". WBEZ. 2 August 2006. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
- ↑ "Uses and Users of Justice in Africa: The Case of Ethiopia's Federal Courts" (PDF). World Bank. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
- ↑ "Mahdere Paulos - Senior Program Officer For Global Human Rights Program at Freedom House". The Org. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
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