164 women leaders graduate from Presidential Leadership Programme II

164 women leaders across Ethiopia graduated from the second phase of the Presidential Leadership Programme for Women Leaders  (PLP II) in Addis Ababa, marking a transition from leadership learning to practical action.

The graduation brought the alumni together for refresher training, reflection and networking, while providing an opportunity to review progress on personal and organizational action plans developed during the programme.

The participants’ stories of transformation show that the programme’s impact extends well beyond the training room. Alumni report greater confidence, stronger emotional intelligence and strategic decision-making skills, as well as a deeper commitment to creating opportunities for other women. They have established mentorship and women’s support initiatives, expanded leadership training in their communities, strengthened workplace support for mothers, advanced women’s participation in traditionally male-dominated sectors, and transformed institutional challenges into practical solutions.

Initiated by H.E. former President Sahle-Work Zewde, Ethiopia’s first woman President, the programme has produced more than 345 alumni across its two phases with support from the Gates Foundation.

To learn more about the programme’s impact, read the below Stories of Transformation, featuring women leaders who share how the training has shaped their leadership journeys and inspired change in their workplaces, communities and beyond.