Senior Partner in consultancy Shevolution and CEO of NGO Project Parity

Lesley Abdela is Senior Partner in consultancy Shevolution, and CEO of NGO Project Parity. She has worked in over 40 countries in Africa, Middle East, Central Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, and Indonesia.

She is a specialist advising on strategies on: Gender and women’s human rights, advocacy, civil society, media, developing democracy, and women in politics. She has worked as a Professional consultant and as a journalist and broadcaster, she has stood for election to Parliament, and has led advocacy campaigns as an activist. In 1980 Lesley Abdela founded the British all party 300 GROUP to campaign to get more women into local, national and European politics.

Lesley Abdela has conducted hundreds of workshops for male and female participants of all backgrounds: grass-roots civil society activists: military officers and Senior Officials in International Organisations such as NATO.

Lesley Abdela has first hand experience of post conflict reconstruction and peace-building operations. She has worked in : Aceh, Iraq, Afghanistan, Sierra Leone and Kosovo.

In Iraq she was Civil Society Consultant, for the RTI Iraq Local Governance Programme. Her home was a trailer in Hilla, on the banks of a tributary of the Euphrates. Her brief was to help Iraqi women to mobilize to take part in democracy and elections as voters, activists and candidates and to help develop women’s associations and human rights associations.

For a few months just after the end of NATO bombing she was Deputy Director for Democratisation in Kosovo with the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Journalist and broadcaster

Lesley Abdela is also a professional freelance journalist and broadcaster and is a long-time Member of the Chartered Institute of Journalists. She has been a guest on many discussion programmes including: ‘Any Questions’, ‘A Good Read, ‘Great Lives’, ‘Question Time’ and ‘Have I got News for You’ She has presented programmes for BBC radio and TV and was Political Editor for London’s Radio Viva.

Lesley has written for: The Times, The Guardian, The Independent, The Financial Times, Sunday Times and the Observer, the Washington Post, The Economist, New Statesman , many women’s magazines and the independent on-line magazine Opendemocracy.

Lesley Abdela was the first Political Editor of a British Women’s Magazine – ‘Cosmopolitan Magazine’ 1993 – 1996.

Awards

New Statesman Magazine. voted Lesley Abdela ‘34’ out of 50 Heroes of Our Time. 2006.

Honorary Doctorate HonDLitt by Nottingham Trent University for life-time work on women’s human rights. 1996.

1996 UK Woman of Europe award’ for work developing women leaders in politics and public life in Central and Eastern European countries.

MBE by HRH Queen Elizabeth for work on women in politics and public life- 1990

The Nancy Astor Media Award for article in The Times newspaper about sexism in the House of Commons 1989.

Leader Grant from the United States Government - 3 week study tour of the United States - 1983

Public and voluntary offices and Memberships

Lesley Abdela is currently Vice President of the Electoral Reform Society,

Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Manufacture and Commerce (RSA);

Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society;

Founder Member of Gender Action for Peace and Security (GAPS) and Patron of YOWLS (Young Women Leaders in Sierra Leone)

and of UK NETWORK (a network of business and professional women).

She is a member of : The Chartered Institute of Journalists; The Fawcett Society (organisation promoting equal opportunities); Women in Journalism; the National Alliance of Women’s Organisations and East – West Women’s Network;

Public and voluntary Offices Held formerly

Lesley Abdela served on the Global Board of the British Council (109 offices globally) 1995 – 2000.

Governor of Nottingham Trent University 1997 – 2000.

Board Member of the International Institute for Environment and Development. 1992 – 1997.

Board Member 'TEMBA' black Theatre Group 1992 – 1995.

Founder and Trustee of the all-Party 300 GROUP for women in politics. 1980-1995

Executive Board member of Women in Management.

Early career: Politics and Advertising

Lesley Abdela stood for Parliament for the Liberal Party and worked as a Researcher in the House of Commons and House of Lords mainly on energy and environment, small business and fisheries. Prior to this she was an Advertising Executive with Royds of London and with Derek Forsyth Design Group. Lesley was educated at Queen Anne’s School, Caversham, Berks and Chatelard School Les Avants s/Montreux Switzerland. She went on to study Painting and graphic design at Hammersmith College of Art and Building and the London College of Printing.