Lesley Julia Abdela is a British expert on women's rights and political participation and women, peace and security. She has worked as an adviser in 50 countries to governments and IGOs (United Nations, CoE, IOM, OSCE),

NGO A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...

s and the

European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body o ...

. She is also a broadcaster and women's rights campaigner.

Biography

Abdela was born in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

and educated at

Queen Anne's School Queen Anne's School is an independent boarding and day school for girls aged 11 to 18, situated in the suburb of Caversham just north of the River Thames and Reading town centre and occupying a campus. There are around 450 pupils. Nearly half a ...

, Chatelard School, Hammersmith College of Art and Building and the

London College of Printing The London College of Communication is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London. It specialises in media-related subjects including advertising, animation, film, graphic design, photography and sound arts. It has approximately ...

Now called University of the Arts. Abdela won the UK Woman of Europe award for work seeking the empowerment of women in Central and Eastern Europe and in 19936 was the first Political Editor for

Cosmopolitan Magazine ''Cosmopolitan'' is an American monthly fashion and entertainment magazine for women, first published based in New York City in March 1886 as a family magazine; it was later transformed into a literary magazine and, since 1965, has become a List ...

. In 2006, Abdela was voted into the ''

New Statesman The ''New Statesman'' is a British political and cultural magazine published in London. Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, it was at first connected with Sidney and Beatrice Webb and other leading members ...

s poll "Top 50 Heroes of Our Time". She was chosen July 2007 United States Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs European Alumni of the Month. In the Queen's Birthday Honours 1990 Abdela was appointed as a Member of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

for "services to the advancement of Women in Politics and Local Government". In 2007, Abdela was reported by the BBC as having found the grave of

Barbara Bodichon Barbara Leigh Smith Bodichon (born Barbara Leigh Smith; 8 April 1827 – 11 June 1891) was an English educationalist and artist, and a leading mid-19th-century feminist and women's rights activist. She published her influential ''Brief Summary ...

in the tiny churchyard of

Brightling Brightling is a village and civil parish in the Rother district of East Sussex, England. It is located on the Weald eight miles (13 km) north-west of Battle and four miles (6 km) west of Robertsbridge. The village lies in the High Wea ...

, East Sussex, about from London. It was in a state of disrepair, with its railings rusted and breaking away, and the inscription on the tomb almost illegible. A fund for its repair was underway. The historian Dr Judith Rowbotham at

Nottingham Trent University Nottingham Trent University (NTU) is a public research university in Nottingham, England. It was founded as a new university in 1992, although its roots go back to 1843 with the establishment of the Nottingham Government School of Design, w ...

issued a further appeal for funds to restore the grave and its surroundings. About £1,000 was raised. The money raised by the village was used to sand-blast the railings and repaint them, and to clean the granite tomb. Abdela has held positions in her career, including * Member of the Governing Board of the

British Council The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh lan ...

(1995-2000) * Governor of

(1997-2000) * Board Member of the International Institute for Environment and Development (1992-1997) * Co-founder and Leader of 'The 300 GROUP' for Women In Politics (1980-1985) *

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

Parliamentary Candidate for the General Election of 1979 * Policy Researcher for

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...

and

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the Bicameralism, upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by Life peer, appointment, Hereditary peer, heredity or Lords Spiritual, official function. Like the ...

(1977-1979) Abdela is Senior Partner in Shevolution, a

gender equality Gender equality, also known as sexual equality or equality of the sexes, is the state of equal ease of access to resources and opportunities regardless of gender, including economic participation and decision-making; and the state of valuing d ...

consultancy, and lives in

Burwash, East Sussex Burwash, archaically known as Burghersh, is a rural village and civil parish in the Rother district of East Sussex, England. Situated in the High Weald of Sussex some 15 miles (24 km) inland from the port of Hastings, it is located five m ...

Works

*Abdela, Lesley and Tim Symonds (ed.), ''Breaking through the glass ceilings.'', Metropolitan Authorities Recruitment Agency, (1991), Solihull. . *Abdela, Lesley, ''Do it! : walk the talk : a practical guide for employers on how to change the gender culture in the workplace.'', Metropolitan Authorities Recruitment Agency, (1995) Solihull, . *Abdela, Lesley, ''What women want : a guide to creating a better and fairer life for women in the UK,'', The Body Shop, (1994).Lesley Abdela Explained.
Retrieved 24 February 2013. *Abdela, Lesley, ''A strange old mother : no press pass for women’s magazines. Violations of rights in Britain; 15,'', Charter88 Enterprises, (1994), London. . *Abdela, Lesley, ''Women with X appeal : women politicians in Britain today.'', Macdonald Optima. (1989), London. .

References

External links

Imperial War Museum archives: to search for recently acquired Lesley Abdela recordings
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abdela, Lesley Living people British feminists British women journalists British people of Greek descent Members of the Order of the British Empire People from Burwash People educated at Queen Anne's School Year of birth missing (living people)