Ethiopia is one of the least developed countries and has a minimal number of women in leadership due to the institutionalized patriarchy which excludes them largely from public spheres. This is a descriptive study of five women pioneering social work leaders in Ethiopia with a purpose of understanding their lived experience and the attached meanings thereof. Specifically the study explores the facilitating factors that helped these women assume leadership roles and positions and the challenges they faced as women leaders in a patriarchal society. The research employs a qualitative...