Bethlehem Mengistu (Ethiopia)

Bethlehem Mengistu

Winner, Policy & Advocacy Trailblazer – 1st African Women in WASH Awards | Executive Director, Agenda for Change
Ethiopia

Bethlehem Mengistu is an executive leader with more than 20 years of experience advancing WASH and development priorities across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. As Executive Director of the Global Secretariat of Agenda for Change, she leads a global coalition of over 22 organisations — including WaterAid, CARE, Oxfam, IRC, and World Vision — working to strengthen water, sanitation, and hygiene systems through national reforms, joint advocacy, and strategic partnerships. Her work brings together governments, civil society, donors, and development partners across countries to improve governance, accountability, and resilience in the sector. 

Her path to global leadership was forged in Ethiopia. In senior leadership roles at WaterAid Ethiopia — including serving as Pan Africa and Country Director — she led the organisation's shift from project-based work to systems strengthening in line with Ethiopia's One WASH National Program, promoting inclusive governance, supporting policy reform, and helping strengthen public systems to achieve lasting results at scale. She was, for a time, the youngest woman in most sector meetings — an experience she has written about candidly, describing how she learned that respect comes when one's voice is heard. She also brings experience from humanitarian and fragile settings, partnering with crisis-response teams to keep WASH systems inclusive, flexible, and resilient during challenging times. 

Bethlehem cares deeply about water diplomacy, women's leadership, gender equality, and fair governance for sustainable results. Through Agenda for Change, she helps drive the Women in WASH mentorship programme, connecting emerging women professionals with experienced leaders across the continent, and she has been an active member of the Women in Water Diplomacy Network since 2023. Her views on systems leadership and collaborative governance have helped shape global strategy and conversations, with features in Nature Water and on platforms such as the H2Know and Decoloniality podcasts. 

In February 2026, at the 1st African Women in WASH Awards in Yaoundé, Cameroon — co-organized by AfWASA and the Rural Water Supply Network from over 250 nominations across 48 countries — Bethlehem was named Winner (1st Place) of the Policy & Advocacy Trailblazer award, recognising her leadership in advancing systems reform, policy influence, and inclusive WASH across Africa.

In her own words: "It's not enough to be in a role or to sit at the table... I have seen how our voices can help shape policy and perspective."

Sources: Bethlehem Mengistu (LinkedIn); 1st African Women in WASH Awards (AfWASA/RWSN); The Water Diplomat; Agenda for Change; WaterAid WASH Matters blog; Women in Water Diplomacy Network