Meskerem Geset Techane

Ms. Meskerem Geset Techane is a human rights lawyer, and a keen advocate of women's rights which has taken primacy in her work over the past 15 years. She previously held positions as a High Court Judge in Ethiopia, and Deputy Director of the Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa (IHRDA) where she led prominent human rights ventures across the Continent. In her extensive work on women’s rights at national and regional level, she spearheaded strategic litigation, trained justice sector professionals and civil society actors, undertook investigation missions, participated in legal reforms, and supported governments, NHRIs and NGOs. Her dedicated service to women and girls has earned her an award for outstanding pro bono legal aid, and the Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association prize for remarkable contribution.

Meskerem has worked closely with the African human rights mechanisms and was involved in drafting African Union human rights laws, policies and studies. She served as an expert member in different Working Groups of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and collaborated with the various Special Rapporteurs of the Commission. She was engaged with the UN human rights mechanisms as well, including the UNWGDAW, and was extensively commissioned as an expert by various UN institutions, including UNHCR, UNICEF, and UNOHCHR, among other notable international organizations.

Currently a Doctoral Fellow at the Human Right Center of University of Padova, Meskerem holds a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) from the Addis Ababa University and a Master of Laws (LL.M) from the University of Pretoria. She participated in research projects and guest lectures in several universities in Europe, Africa and North America. She has published on issues of women’s rights and human rights in Africa, and authored training manuals for lawyers, judges and law enforcement officers on women’s rights and gender justice.