A meningitis infection at age five resulted in permanent blindness for Yetnebersh Nigussie, an event she credits with providing an escape from the practice of early marriage in her native Amhara Region. She transitioned from a primary student at the Shashemane Catholic School for the Blind to a prominent jurist and advocate for human rights within Ethiopia.
Academic and Student Leadership
Following her secondary education at Menelik II Senior Secondary School, Nigussie enrolled at Addis Ababa University. She earned an undergraduate degree in law and a master's degree in social work. Her campus activities were extensive, including chairing the university's Anti-AIDS movement from 2004 to 2005. In 2006, she founded the Addis Ababa University Female Students Association and served as its inaugural president.
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Nigussie contributed to over 20 voluntary organizations, notably chairing the Women's Wing of the Ethiopian National Association of the Blind for four years starting in 2003. She co-founded the Ethiopian Center for Disability and Development to improve economic empowerment and development integration for disabled persons. Her professional trajectory later included a role with the non-governmental organization Light for the World, following her tenure on its International Board of Ambassadors.
Recognition and Publications
Her advocacy led to numerous honors, including the 2003 AMANITARE award in South Africa and the 2017 Right Livelihood Award, which she shared with Colin Gonsalves, Khadija Ismayilova, and Robert Bilott. She has authored several works on legal reform and psychosocial dimensions regarding disability, including her 2006 paper on the legal rights of persons with disabilities in Ethiopia and a 2008 call to action regarding the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Fast facts
- Born: 24 January 1982
- Birthplace: Amhara Region, Ethiopia
- Education: Addis Ababa University
- Primary Occupations: Jurist, human rights defender
- Major Recognition: Right Livelihood Award (2017)
- Religious Affiliation: Ethiopian Eastern Catholicism
Questions readers ask
What is the focus of Nigussie's legal work?
She focuses on the rights, inclusion, and economic empowerment of persons with disabilities through legal reform and policy advocacy.
Which major international award did she receive in 2017?
She was a joint recipient of the Right Livelihood Award, often described as the Alternative Nobel Prize.
