Catholic bishops in Ethiopia’s have welcomed the election of the nation’s first female president, Sahle-Work Zewde, and said they were pleased that women are getting their rightful place in the country.

The Catholic Church in Ethiopia is optimistic that Zewde’s election will inspire women and girls to reach their full potential as influential actors in society, Vatican News reported.

Zewde, 68, had earlier served as Ethiopia’s representative to the United Nations, and as director-general of the U.N. offices in Nairobi met Pope Francis in 2015. “The Ethiopian Catholic Church believes that President Sahle-Work Zewde, who has years of impressive diplomatic experience, will further strengthen the leading role Ethiopia is playing in the region and further enhance the soft power of the country at an international level,” according to a statement from the Ethiopian Catholic Secretariat.