Who Is She

Organisations: 
Professions: 
Areas of expertise: 

Personal information

Professor
Marguerite Helou

What I have done for Lebanon

I used my academic, research and consultancy work to build and root a culture of equality and non discrimination, to enhance the belief in the supremacy of loyalty to the state over all loyalties, and to empower women especially in the political field, all of which I consider to be prerequisites for national political ,economic and social development.

Contact information / Private

Hallak Bldg., 6th fl., Jawharji St., Zalka, Metn
Lebanon
Phone: 
716667 4 961
353832 3 961

Contact information / Work

Independent consultant
Gender Expert
Lebanon
Mobile: 
353832 3 961

Education

Education: 
  • Doctorate degree, Politicial Science, 1978, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University, United States of America.
  • Master's degree, Political Science, 1975, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University, NY, United States of America.

Areas of expertise

Expertise: 
  • Gender equality
  • Women Political Participation  in Lebanon
  • VAW in Lebanon and MENA
  • Democratization Processes
  • International Relations (Middle East)
  • Lebanese Politics
  • Research Methodology
Languages: 
  • Arabic
  • English
  • French (Fair)

Work history

Jobs: 
  • Expert/ consultant, (gender and VAW), 2013-present, Westminster Foundation for Democracy, Enhancing Women Leadership Project
  • Expert, January-September 2018, UNFPA, ESCWA & OMSWA, Drafted the National Strategy for Combating VAW with its action plan and monitoring and evaluation framework/ updating the situation analysis on VAW in Lebanon.
  • Political Advisor, MEPI & IWSAW, January-September 2018, Equality for Everyone Project.
  • Expert/consultant, NCLW, 2016-2017, Drafting annual reports on implementation of the NAP(2013-2016) for the National Strategy for Women in Lebanon (2011-2021),  and drafting NAP (2017-2019).
  • Expert, EU (EURECNA), September -October 2016, Gender Equity and Empowerment of Women in Lebanon (Advocacy campaign for Gender quota)
  • Consultant, Lebanese Family Planning Association, January-May 2013, Assessing Performance of Women in Lebanese Municipalities Project
  • Senior Gender Consultant, USAID, April-June 2012, Assessment Project on Gender
  • Senior Research Analyst, 2000- 2015, Statistics Lebanon
  • Consultant, International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) , 2009 -2011, Status of Women in the Middle East and North Africa Project (SWMENA)
  • Consultant / public opinion polls, 2006 - 2010, International Republican Institute.
  • Guest Editor, IWSAW, April-June 2005, Al-Raida Periodical, volume 109/110
  • Consultant, NCLW, 2004&2006, drafted the section on Women political participation  of the National Report submitted to the Committee of the Discrimination Against  Women (CEDAW).
  • Tenured Professor, 1979 -2014, Faculty of Law and Political & Administrative Sciences, Lebanese University.
  • Part-time Lecturer, 1991 - 2013t, Haigazian University.
  • Part-time Lecturer, Political Sciences and Public Administration Department, 1979 - 2006, American University of Beirut.

Honorary office and memberships

  • Honorary member of the Coalition of Women MPs from the Arab World to Combat Violence Against Women
  • Member of the executive committee of the Lebanese Political Science Association, 1994 - present.
  • Founding member and member of the executive committee of the Lebanese Intellectual Association, 1989-1998

Productions

Publications highlights: 

Chapters on gender in co-authored books: 

  • Helou, M . (2004). Women participation: A means  for enhancing citizenship and equality, in  Citizenship Issues in Lebanon: Dimensions and Current Challenges,  Collective  work, Lebanese Center for Policy Studies, Beirut, pp. 171-182
  • Helou, M. (2002)."Lebanese women political culture: consecration of tradition or an indicator of change?" in Parliamentary elections in Lebanon, 2000: Between change and repetition. Collective work, Lebanese Center for Policy Studies, Beirut, pp. 217-272
  • Helou, M., (2000). Lebanese women and parliamentary elections. in Hourani, H. & Abou Rimman, H. (eds).  Arab Women and Political Participation, New Jordan Research Center, Jordan, 2000.pp. 251-268
  • Helou M. (1999). Democracy in the Structure of Local Communities, Collective work,  Lebanese Center for Policy Studies, Beirut. p. 417-450.
  • Helou M. (1996). Women and politics in Lebanon in Lebanese Parliamentary Elections 1996 and the Crisis of  Democracy, Collective work, Lebanese Centre for Policy Studies, Beirut, 1998. 403-450.

Research Papers and Reports on Gender: 

  • Helou M. (2018). Violence against women in Politics: the case of Lebanon. Westminster Foundation for Democracy.
  • Helou M. (2018). Report on Sexual Harassment at the Workplace in Nine Arab Countries, Westminster Foundation for Democracy.
  • Helou M. (2017). National Report on VAW in Lebanon, Westminster Foundation for Democracy, 2017.
  • Helou M. (2016). Comparison of the Jordanian proposed  DV Bill with  the DV Bill of 2008 and international standards for legislation onVAW and DV", Report prepared for WFD and the Coalition of Women Parliamentarians from Arab States forCombatingVAW, WFD. 
  • Helou M. (2016). A Study on Advocacy For the Adoption of Women Quota in the Electoral Law,  Gender Equity  and Empowerment of Women in Lebanon, EU funded project, Beirut.
  • Helou M. (2014). “Gender Responsive Budgeting in Iraqi Kurdistan Region (KRG)”,  Westminster Foundation for Democracy.
  • Helou M. (2013). "An Assessment of the Experience of Women Members of Lebanese Municipal Councils", Friedrich Ebert, Stiftung and Lebanese Family Planning Association.
  • Helou M. (2013). "Kurdistan's Domestic Violence Law: A Case Study of Law Making and Implementation on VAW", Westminster Foundation for Democracy. (discusses advocacy work that led to the adoption of the law)
  • Helou M. (2012). Assessment Project on gender, (Co-authored), USAID. 

Other publications on Lebanese and Middle Eastern Politics

Books:

  • Helou M. (1995). Islam in Turkish Politics: Past, Present and Future, Center of Armenian Studies, Beirut.
  • Helou M. (1994). Turkish-Israeli Relations, Center of Armenian Studies, Beirut.