ETHIOPIA'S FIRST WOMAN PRESIDENT

ADDIS ABABA : Ethiopian lawmakers on Thursday unanimously elected the country's female president, days after approving one of the world's few ''gender-balanced'' cabinets.

Seasoned diplomat Sahle Work Zewde succeeds Mualatu Teshome in the largely ceremonial post.

''In a patriarchal  society such as ours, the appointment of a female head of state not only sets the standard for the future but also normalises women as decision-makers  in public life,'' the chief of staff for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said. [AFP]