Ethiopian Parliament approves youngest minister, Filsan Abdi

Ethiopian parliament has approved for Ethiopia’s newly appointed Filsan Abdullahi as Women and Youth affairs minister, following her appointment by prime minister Abiy Ahmed.

In its 14th regular session on Thursday, the House has approved the appointment of Adanech Abebe as Attorney General, Dr. Liya Tadesse as Minister of Health as well as Laqe Ayalew as Minister of Revenue.

The House approved their appointments with a majority vote and only 21 voting against them.

Filsan, 28 year-old Somali, is the youngest of Abiy Ahmed’s Cabinet and will replace Yalem Tsegaye Assfaw, the last member of TPLf in Prime Minister Abiy’s cabinet. Yalem Assfaw was among the 15 newly appointed ambassadors.

Filsan who was based in the UK before her appointment for the portfolio was working as a Speech and Language Therapy consultant.

She is the founder of the ‘Nabad Project” – where ‘Nabad’ in Somali Language means ‘Peace’.  She has been actively participating in youth volunteer projects launched by PM Abiy Ahmed. 

Filsan born in the city of Dire Dawa, in Eastern Ethiopia. Filsan spent much of her teen and adulthood in Addis Abeba, where she had her first academic degree in Leadership and Management from the privately-owned Unity University in Addis Ababa.