This research was conducted at the Ministry af Foreign Affairs of the Federal DemocraticrnRepublic of Ethiopia. The establishment of the Ministry, which deals with Ethiopia's relationsrnwith the other countries and international organisations, dates back to 1907 G. C. The studyrnfocuses on female employees at the Ministry occupying professional posts. It examines thernpositions these women hold, the opportunities they are given, the challenges they encounter andrntheir aspirations to advance their career and occupy higher positions in this important field.rnQualitative method was used to conduct this study. Both primary and secondary data wererncollected. In-depth interviews were conducted with twelve women working in professionalrnpositions. Secondary data in the form of reports, research and journals were used. The studyrnshows that the Ministry, as a Federal institution, recruits women from different parts of therncountry to ensure representation of women from the different notions and nationalities. ThernMinistry provides women the opportunity to advance in their careers by applying affirmativernaction, both during recruitments and promotion. The Ministry also upgrades women, who havernimproved their educational qualification while on the job. This exercise especially benefittedrnyoung female employees who aspire to reach higher positions inside the Ministry. The womenrnwho took part in the study also revealed that the support they have fram their families isrnessential for their achievement in the workplace. Unfortunately, despite these positive stepsrntaken by the Ministry, the number of women in professional positions is still behind that of men.rnLock of the required educotionol quolification and low self-esteem of the women themselves arernsome of the challenges cited by the female employees interviewed for this research. Culturalrnmisconceptions on women's ability and gender stereotyped rales in the work place were alsornobstacles hindering women from joining the professional job category.