The Role of Young People, Women in Promoting Human Rights and Security in Ethiopia with Mrs. Dunia Mekonnen

Mrs. Dunia Mekonnen Speaking on Human Rights in Africa

Dunia Mekonnen Tegegn, Human Rights Lawyer and Gender Equality Advocate. Prior to her role as a Media Rights Research Fellow with Collaboration on International ICT Policy in East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) & Human Rights Consultant with the American Bar Association, Dunia worked as an Almami Cyllah Fellow with Amnesty International USA. She also worked as a Program Associate with Women’s Learning Partnership for Rights, Peace, and Development. Before coming to the United States, Dunia worked as a Human Rights Officer with the UN High Commissioner for Human Right’s East Africa Regional Office, and as an Alternative Care Expert with UNICEF. Dunia also worked as a Program Officer with UN Women Ethiopia on Human Rights and Ending Violence against Women and supported Ethiopian Women Lawyers’ Association, through pro bono services to victims of gender-based violence and providing legal advice on common property rights, child custody, maintenance, and other family law matters. Dunia is the first African scholar within Georgetown Law’s Women’s Law and Public Policy Program to hold a Master of Laws in National Security. She holds a Master of Arts in Human Rights from Addis Ababa University, Center for Human Rights. Dunia earned her bachelor's degree in law from Bahir Dar University.

Leadership Positions Held:

Dunia served as the Co-chair of the Africa Program for the United Nations Associations in the National Capital Area, and as a co-lead for the Africa Program of Young Professionals in International Affairs. Dunia also served as a Legal Compliance and Diaspora outreach coordinator with Your Ethiopian Professionals Network. Dunia recently co-founded a Women’s rights organization in New Jersey, the USA that focuses on girls’ education and reproductive health rights in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Memberships:

Dunia is a member of the Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU), the Ethiopian Bar Association, and the Ethiopian American Bar Association in Washington DC. She is an active member of the Advocacy Network for Africa Forum (ADNA Forum) in Washington DC and contributes to its Human rights and Democracy, and Security working group.