MAKING ‪#‎HERSTORY‬ // MEAZA ASHENAFI

Meaza Ashenafi is the lawyer you always want on your side. Meaza served as a Judge of the High Court, a Legal Advisor and later founded the Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association. Determined to put women on the map, Meaza led the movement to establish the first bank for and by women in Ethiopia, Enat Bank. She was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 2005 for her work to elevate the status of women in Ethiopia.

Meaza Ashenafi’s work has challenged many of the limiting stereotypes and barriers that women face in Ethiopia. She believes that development in every sphere is dependent on the inclusion and contributions of woman.

We will be recognizing inspiring Ethiopian women who have made #herstory all month long. Hope you’ll join us in celebrating Women’s History Month!

‪#‎IWD‬ ‪#‎WomensHistoryMonth‬ ‪#‎Ethiopia‬

MAKING ‪#‎HERSTORY‬ // TAITU BETUL (1851-1918)

We’re kicking off Women’s History Month by celebrating the legendary Empress Taitu Betul! She was well educated and fluent in Ge’ez, the classical Ethiopian language, which was a rarity for a woman at the time. Never one to take the back seat in any situation, Taitu was equal to her husband, Emperor Menelik, who regularly sought her wisdom in political and military affairs. Empress Taitu advised him on where and how to attack the Italians in the Battle of Adwa, where she led her own battalion to war.

Empress Taitu fought to break the monopoly of political power in Ethiopia and tirelessly worked for the public good. She also founded and named Ethiopia’s capital city, Addis Ababa (meaning the New Flower in Amharic). Empress Taitu’s legacy continues to shape and define affairs in Ethiopia and the region.

We will be celebrating inspiring Ethiopian women who have made #herstory all month long. Hope you'll join us!

Celebrate Women's Herstory Month with GGRF

March is Women's History Month, and we're excited to celebrate strong women of today and yesterday all month long. Join us in uplifting the herstories of women changemakers in Ethiopia and across the globe:   RUN // Join the International Women's Day Run hosted by Volt Women. Last year, runners in 80 cities ran on March 8th - from sun up in Seoul to sunset in LA. This Tuesday, grab your friends and go for a run, or join one of the many runs happening globally, by following the hashtag #IWDRun. If you're in Addis Ababa, come celebrate strong women by running the Women First 5K, happening Sunday, March 6th. Ethiopian Airlines makes history with first, all female-operated flight in 2015. CELEBRATE // Join GGRF in celebrating the accomplishments of Ethiopian women throughout history all month long. Find us on Instagram, Facebook,Twitter or Tumblr to celebrate, honor and elevate the stories of women who have changed history in Ethiopia. Photo left to right: GGRF Athletic Scholar Dibora, GGRF Athletic Sponsor Seble, GGRF Sodo Life Skills Instructor Fasica, Dibora's father. INSPIRE // GGRF matches our Athletic Scholars with sponsors and role models abroad to further expand their access to a network of mentors. This past month, GGRF Athletic Scholar Dibora met with her sponsor, Dr. Seble Chekol, in Sodo, Ethiopia. Dr. Chekol, who is originally from Ethiopia, was able to meet and visit Dibora, her teammates, her family, and the Abba Pascal Girls School in person while she was vacationing in Ethiopia. Dr. Chekol serves as an inspiring female role model for many of the GGRF Athletic Scholars who aspire to become doctors. Thank you, Dr. Chekol, and all of the GGRF Athletic Scholarship Sponsors for your continued support! Click here to learn how to become an Athletic Scholarship Sponsor and Mentor today. Many thanks, and Happy Women's Herstory Month on behalf of all of us at the Girls Gotta Run Foundation. Kayla Nolan,  Executive Director  Girls Gotta Run Foundation

Happy Holidays from Girls Gotta Run Foundation

Thank you for investing in girl changemakers with us this year! We're proud to partner with you to invest in girls using running and education to empower themselves and their communities.

If you'd like to give the gift of education, health, community or self-determination in honor of a loved one or friend this holiday season, here's how a contribution of any size can make an impact in the life of a girl and her family in Ethiopia today:

SAFETY: $35 provides a running outfit for a female athlete to help her feel comfortable and safe while running.

MENTORSHIP: $100 provides a female mentor for life skills programming all year long.

HEALTH: $150 provides a girl runner with daily school lunches and snacks after practice for proper nutrition in school and running all year long.

COMMUNITY: $180 provides athletic equipment for a girl to participate in the GGRF athletics team and life skills program for a year.

SELF-DETERMINATION: $50/month provides a year long Athletic Scholarship for a girl which includes school fees, healthcare, school lunches, school supplies, athletic gear, and participation in our life skills program and running team.

Thank you for helping to make this holiday season a time that changes what is possible for a girl, her family and her community in Ethiopia. INVEST IN A GIRL CHANGEMAKER - DONATE TODAY. From all of us at the Girls Gotta Run Foundation, I hope you have a great holiday season and Happy New Year! Kayla Nolan  Executive Director  Girls Gotta Run Foundation

#GivingTuesday: More than a Hashtag

It's #GivingTuesday - a day dedicated to celebrating and investing in the causes that we all care about. This Giving Tuesday, we'd like to share with you a previously untold story about one of our Athletic Scholars and the change she was able to make in her life thanks to the support you have given over the past 2 years.

Hibist is 14 years old and is a GGRF Athletic Scholar. The first year she was in our program, her single mother found that she was unable to pay rent. Her landlord asked Hibist's mom to give him Hibist in marriage as a way to pay her rent. The landlord didn't want Hibist to participate in the GGRF Athletic Scholarship Program or any after-school activities.

After learning about this situation, the GGRF Staff and community worked with Hibist's mom to find a new job opportunity so she could pay rent and move away from this challenging situation. Hibist continues to thrive in the GGRF Athletic Scholarship Program and her mother now works at a fruit shop making more money to support her family than she did before entering the GGRF Program.

Thanks to your support, the families we work with have a larger network of resources to access when faced with innumerable and diverse challenges. This is how families are able to overcome child marriage, provide greater access to education for their children and build resilient communities.

Giving Tuesday is more than a hashtag. It's the change that you help to manifest throughout the year. To invest in Hibist and girls like her, please visit HERE.

Thank you for your support!

Photo by Marie Claire Andrea.