Prof. Tekeste Negash is emeritus professor of history and author of several books on Ethiopian history, education, and culture including Eritrea and Ethiopia: the Federal Experience,  Brothers at War: Making Sense of the Eritrean-Ethiopian War and Rethinking Education in Ethiopia. 

This project is the result of several years of collaboration between Dr. Tekeste and Dr. Berit Sahlström, art historian and tapestry artist. Swedish-born Berit Sahlström has published works on Ethiopian and African contemporary political art and has had her tapestries commissioned by both public and private institutions.

Tekeste and Berit share the goal of bringing the stories of these five remarkable women and their roles in the long history of Ethiopia, a nation that has forged and fought for its independence in the face of staggering adversity, to the people of Ethiopia and Eritrea and their worldwide diasporas. It is hoped that through this work that future historians will be inspired to further research the very prominent roles women have played throughout the history of Ethiopia.