LESLEY ABDELA, ASSOCIATED PARTNER

Nationality
British

Profession
Lesley Abdela is a Gender Expert Consultant with over 30 years experience, including specialist technical expertise and support  in Gender Equality  and Human Rights in relation to women in politics/public life; gender and media; women’s participation in peace building – women, peace and security; gender and climate change/environment; equal opportunities in employment. Baseline Assessments, Evaluations, Trainer. She has extensive experience working  with Gender Mainstreaming. Worked with  non-governmental as well as international and governmental organisations, public and private sector  and Media.

International Experience
Undertaken gender expert missions to: Indonesia; Afghanistan; Albania; Armenia; Austria; Bali, Indonesia; Bangladesh; Belgium; Bosnia and Hercegovina; Bulgaria; Cameroon; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Egypt; Ethiopia; Eritrea; Finland; Georgia; Ghana; Greece; Hungary; India; Indonesia; Iraq; Israel; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Kenya; Kosovo;  Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania; Malawi; Mali; Malta; Morocco; Nepal; OPT; Pakistan; Poland; Romania; Sierra Leone; Slovakia; Slovenia; Sri Lanka; Sweden; Tanzania; Tunisia; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Ukraine; United Kingdom, Uzbekistan.

Member of the EBRD Gender Advisory Services Expert Panel. Since 2011 Lesley Abdela has carried out assignments providing expert advice on gender and social inclusiveness  of service provision and on gender and equal opportunities in the workplace for EBRD clients in the private and public sectors: in Turkey; Egypt;  Ukraine; Kyrgyz Republic.

Education
Hon D.Litt Degree – Advancement of Women, Nottingham Trent University.

Key qualifications

Lesley Abdela has carried out 80+ gender assignments for Sida, EBRD, The EU, the InterParliamentary Union, UNDP, Media Diversity Institute, Research Triangle Institute, British Council, DFID.

Carried out 26 assignments for Sida Gender Help-Desk including advice for integrating gender and women’s rights into project/programme cycles: methodology, tools, training, talking points for dialogues; gender analysis, gender indicators, monitoring and evaluation,  gender budgeting, capacity-building, risk assessment. Conducted hundreds of women’s political participation workshops.

Lesley Abdela’s  work is grounded in real-life experience. She has been a General Election Parliamentary Candidate, Researcher for Parliamentarians in both UK Houses of Parliament, NGO Advocacy campaigner and Journalist. She has feet on the ground experience working in post-conflict situations.

Languages
English – Mother tongue
French – Professional proficiency
Modern Greek  – Basic proficiency