Fetien Abay Abera is professor of crop science at Mekelle University (Ethiopia), undertaking research on participatory plant breeding, particularly barley.
[5] She released five varieties of barley that have been widely adopted by farmers across the Tigray region of Ethiopia and beyond.
[3] Starting from 1997, Fetien discovered the dynamics of farmers' innovativeness in land management, through her lead in the Indigenous Soil and Water Conservation (ISWC) research programme.
[8] While at the age of twelve, Fetien Abay was proposed for an arranged marriage that later was rejected by her mother,[1] she had become, by 2020, one of the four women who have ever been university president in Ethiopia.
[1] She shared her experiences with hundreds of high school students, and actively empowered women, who have been given sponsorship, mentorship and advice.