Yegna

Yegna (pronounced Yen-ya, meaning "Ours" in Amharic) is an all-girl Ethiopian acting and pop group with the stated aim of reaching out to empower the young women of Ethiopia.

The 5-member group was formed in April, 2013 as part of the internationally funded Girl Hub scheme, which also operates in Nigeria and Rwanda. The group members are Teref Kassahun (nicknamed Melat, aged 26), Lemlem Haile Michael (Mimi, 26), Zebiba Girma (Emuye, 22), Eyerusalem Kelemework (Sara, 27) and Rahel Getu (Lemlem, 22). Each member of the group has a different stage persona and nickname. Melat's character is that of the city girly princess, Mimi's that of the tough swaggering streetwise girl, Emuye is the vivacious music-lover, Sara the quiet studious one and Lemlem the steady maternal type.

They produce videos and perform on Ethiopian radio in a weekly drama and talk show for young women, addressing issues such as forced marriage, isolation and teen pregnancies, broadcasting on Sheger FM in Addis Ababa to a population of some 20 million. Their first live performance was at the Addis Ababa National Theatre in May 2013. The group claim statistically significant change in knowledge, attitudes and behaviours though their work.

After the success of their debut video Abet in 2013 they released a second video,Taitu, later in the year, in collaboration with singer Aster Aweke. Taitu was an Ethiopian queen consort in the early 20th century.

In January 2017, the UK's Secretary of State for International Development Priti Patel announced that following a review of the band's £5.2 million Department for International Development (DFID) funding there would be no further financial support given by the UK taxpayer. DFID affirmed their commitment to empowering women and girls but cited concerns about the effectiveness and value for money of the aid. In response, the managing organisation Girl Effect pointed to the impact of Yegna on millions of people in Ethiopia; illustrating this by quoting a girl in Amhara as saying: “Everything that Yegna stands for – peace, support, friendship – has changed my outlook on life and made me feel proud to be a girl.”