Addis Abeba, Oct. 16/2018 – For the second time since becoming Ethiopia’s Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed formed a new cabinet today. But unlike the first one, PM Abiy has downsized the number of ministers from 28 to 20 and equalized the gender composition to 50% women and 50% men; he also gave key positions, such as minister of peace and defense, to women ministers, a move applauded by many.
The prime minister presented his new cabinet members to the House of People’s Representatives (HPR) this morning, and secured the house’s unanimous approval for the new draft bill No. 1097/2018, authorizing the power and responsibilities the new executive organ.
Addis Standard@addisstandardBreaking:PM #AbiyAhmed due to announce his new cabinet. The new ministerial portfolio will have a record number of female ministers consisting 10 out of the 20 ministers. This include the position of ministry of defense, which will be held by a woman for the first time in history
Accordingly the following are list of the ten women ministers
Muferiat Kamil -Minister of Peace
Aisha Mohammed – Minister of Defense
Adanech Abebe – Minister of Revenue
Fetlework Gebregziabher – Minister of Trade and Industry
Dagmawit Mogess – Minister of Transport
Hirut Woldemariam (PhD) – Minister of Science and Higher education
Yalem Tsegaye Assfaw -Minister of Women’s’, Children’s’ and Youth
Ergoge Tesfaye (PhD) -Minister of Labour and Social Affairs
Hirut Kassaw (PhD) -Minister of Culture and Tourism
Fitsum Assefa (PhD) – Minister of Planning and Development Commission
The following are list of the ten men ministers
Workneh Gebeyehu (PhD) – Minister of Foreign Affairs
Ahmed Shide -Minister of Finance and Economy
Umer Hussien – Minister of Agriculture
Amir Aman (PhD) – Minister of Health
Dr Getahun Mekuria -Minister of Innovation and Technology
Engineer Seleshi Bekele (eng.) Minister of Water, Irrigation and Electricity
Jantirar Abay -Minister of Urban Development and Construction
Samuel Hurko (PhD) – Minister of Mines and Petroleum
Berhanu Tsegaye – Attorney General with the Rank of a Minister
Tilaye Gete (PhD) – Minister of Education
In addition to appointing the reshuffled cabinet, the new draft bill No. 1097/2018 mandated the new ministry of peace to be led by former house speaker Muferiat Kamil to oversee the National Intelligence & security Service (NISS); Information Network Security Agency (INSA); Federal Police Commission; & Finance Security & Information Center; National Disaster Risk Management Commission; the Administration for Refugee and Returnee Affairs; Ethiopian Foreign Relations Strategic Studies Institute; and the Main Department For Immigration & Nationality Affairs. Ministry of Peace will also assume the roles and responsibilities of former Federal & Pastoralist Development Affairs.
The bill also placed the following agencies under the auspices of the House of People’s Representatives (HPR): Ethiopian News Agency (ENA); Ethiopian Broadcasting Authority (EBA); Ethiopian Press Agency (EPA); Federal anti corruption commission; & Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation.
Addis Standard@addisstandardBreaking:HPR speaker Muferiat Kamil will assume the new ministerial portfolio, Ministry of Peace; Workneh Gebeyehu will remain as minister of Foreign Affairs; and Ahmed Shide will become minister at Ministry of Finance,where he was a state minister before moving to communication pic.twitter.com/nZJ6Cuur8l
Addis Standard@addisstandardBreaking: PM #AbiyAhmed dissolved the Government Communication Affairs Office, which was led by Ahmed Shide with ministerial portfolio and instated it under the Prime Minister’s office. Ahmed Shide will be announced the new minister of finance. Parliament is in session. pic.twitter.com/39ia7v17y5
The other major reshuffle is the dissolving of the Federal Government Communication Affairs office led by Ahmed Shide with ministerial portfolio. GCAO is no more and its mandate is restructured as press secretariat under the prime minister’s office. AS
OromianEconomist 
At a symbolic level, if nothing else, the Cabinet is a powerful indication of change. The prime minister slashed the number of ministries from 28 to 20. Ten of the 20 ministers are women. Ten have PhDs. Key ministries are being run by members of ethnic and religious groups that have historically been marginalised: the finance ministry by Ahmed Shide, a Muslim from the Somali region, and defence by Aisha Mohamed, a Muslim from the Afar region. https://mg.co.za/article/2018-10-19-00-abiys-ethiopian-exceptionalism