Hasset Dereje, the reigning Miss World Africa from Ethiopia, joins former African Presidents and global leaders in landmark conversation on women’s leadership and Agenda 2063

At the 39th African Union Summit, Miss World Africa Hasset Dereje represented The Voice of Africa (TVOA) at a prestigious high-level Fireside Conversation alongside some of the continent’s most influential female leaders.

The dialogue, convened in partnership with the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN) and UN Women, brought together former heads of state, senior policymakers, and distinguished First Ladies to discuss women reshaping governance, institutional reform, and Africa’s development trajectory under Agenda 2063.

Among those in attendance were former President of Mauritius Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, former President of Liberia and 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former President of Ethiopia Sahle-Work Zewde, and former AU Commission Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.

In what participants described as an exclusive and forward-looking exchange, discussions focused on strengthening leadership pipelines for women, institutional accountability, youth engagement, and sustainable continental progress.

Hasset Dereje also had the opportunity to present a cultural gift from Kiriftu Village, symbolizing unity, heritage, and the power of African storytelling.

Miss World Africa described the encounter as inspiring, highlighting the strength, resilience, and wisdom embodied by Africa’s female leadership: “Stepping into rooms that once felt distant, now feeling like destiny”.

“This is not red carpet coverage. This is institutional access at the highest level,” organizers emphasized, underscoring the significance of Miss World Africa’s presence in a space where policy, governance, and long-term strategy converge.