Billene Seyoum

False information that Billene had been fired and replaced by Nigussie Tilahun surfaced around 2 January 2019. However, Billene continued to be the press secretary in charge of the English and digital media. Nigussu Tilahun did join the secretariat as press secretary, but to aid with the Amharic section.

Billene was one of the originators of the 50-50 gender balance concept for Ethiopian government. In an open letter addressed to Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, that was published by The Reporter, Billene Seyoum Weldeyes and Sewit Hailesellasie Tadesse pushed the Prime Minister to work towards gender equality and justice by recommending a few ideas that would strengthen the Prime Minister's commitment towards gender equality. Among them was a recommendation to create a 50-50 gender balance in the ministerial cabinet, Prime Minister's gender advisory group, CSO Law, the Women's rights Defenders Forum, and many more. Ahmed responded positively, appointing 10 female ministers when he formed his cabinet on the 16 October 2018.

Billene was then appointed as the Press Secretary for the Office of the Prime Minister of Ethiopia in November 2018, following the end of Government Communication Affairs Office (GCAO).

In 2016, Billene was chosen to be an Acumen East African Fellow.

In 2014, she published her book, Transformative Spaces: Enabling Authentic Female Leadership Through Self Transformation. The Case of AWiB.

In 2013, Billene was the president of Ethiopia's Association of Women in Business (AWiB).

In 2011, Billene co-formed a spoken-word poetry collective called Zemneged-Andinet (meaning, "from a place of unity" in Amharic). Billene has stated that it consisted of "both English and Amharic writing poets who believe in words as a medium of artistic expression." The collective performed in venues in Addis Ababa.

From 2011 to 2013, Billene served as the Deputy Training Lead at the Institute of Peace and Security Studies - Africa Peace and Security Program in Addis Ababa.

Billene moved back to Addis Ababa at the end of 2010 and began her career there.

In 2010, three weeks later, she started her blog EthiopianFeminism. In 2012, she renamed the website to AfricanFeminism. AfricanFeminism is a digital African feminist platform that shares works of feminist African writers while encouraging dialogue. The purpose of the blog: "to understand similar issues on the continent and engage with other African feminists. It was also a response to the lack of Ethiopian voices on continental issues".

Since 2010, she has published with multiple newsletters, including Pambazuka News, on topics that concern the rights of women and girls.

Upon finishing high school in Harare, Billene completed two years of college in Marketing Management at the Addis Ababa University, College of Commerce. She studied International Relations at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver from 2004 to 2008. Billene went on to obtain an MA in Gender and Peace building from Universidad para la Paz and later another MA in Peace, Security, Development and International Conflict Transformation at the University of Innsbruck, Austria.

Billene Seyoum Woldeyes (Amharic: ቢለኔ ሥዩም ወልደየስ; born 1982) is an Ethiopian politician, poet, author and feminist who is serving as the Foreign Press Secretary for the Office of Prime Minister of Ethiopia since 2018. Billene speaks as the prime minister's foreign spokesperson in English.