Adanech Admassu is a filmmaker, storyteller and content creator who champions the cause of women and girls in Ethiopia. Many of her films have been made in partnership with international NGOs including Unicef, Water Aid and Womankind. They have addressed girls' education, maternal health, FGM, stigma and discrimination and many other issues that hold women back in Ethiopia. 

Adanech believes passionately that when Ethiopia’s women are empowered they can not only enrich their own lives but also the lives of their families and their communities. As she says, “If women are not allowed to play their full part in building a strong Ethiopia then the country cannot succeed, but if they are then Ethiopia cannot fail.”

Promoting peace and unity is another cause that is close to Adanech's heart. "When there is conflict among Ethiopian people it is women and girls who suffer the most," she says. "Women's empowerment can only happen in a peaceful country. There is more that unites us in our history and culture than drives us apart. This is what my films focus on and celebrate."