Etenesh was trained as a community development worker and worked with village women in Ethiopia. In Eritrea she was for four years a Head of women affairs and promoted to be in charge of mass organizations like trade unions, youth organizations and women organizations. She studied in Eritrea extension in law for four years in the University of Asmara. She was a director of orphanage for three years and was trained for international communication. She stayed seven years in diplomatic service for Ethiopia for Scandinavian countries and for Czechoslovakia and Hungary.

Etenesh founded in 1996 the African Women Organization in Austria to fight FGM on the local, regional and international level. Etenesh founded and leads the First FGM Counselling Centre in Austria. During the First Austrian EU Presidency in 2006 she facilitated as a resource person for the Austrian Women Minister the First EU FGM Conference in Brussels. In an EU Daphne Project as the project coordinator she developed together with partner organizations from Sweden and Netherlands teaching materials to prevent FGM in Europe and Africa.

Etenesh is an Executive Board Member of the Austrian Women Ring, the biggest umbrella organization of women NGOs and networks in Austria. She has also worked for two years as an International Public Relations for 30 African countries who are affected of FGM. She is also engaged in Violence on Women and Girls, she is a member of the EU Civil Society Platform against Trafficking in Human Beings and a Member of the Africa Europe Foundation. She is also engaged in the NGO Committee on the Status of Women CSW Vienna, which is affiliated to the United Nations.