Marguerite Helou
Personal information
Marguerite Helou
Professor
Contact information (Private)
+961 4 716667
+961 3 353832
Contact information (Work)
Independent consultant
+961 3 353832
Community/Lebanon Impact
She used her 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 other loyalties, and to empower women, especially in the political field. She considers all of these to be prerequisites for national political, economic, and social development.
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.
Work history
Previous Professions:
- Consultant/Expert (Gender Issues and Violence Against Women), 2013-Present, Westminster Foundation for Democracy, Women’s Leadership Enhancement Project.
- Expert on Violence Against Women, UNFPA, ESCWA, and Ministry of State for Women's Affairs, developing the National Action Plan to Combat Violence Against Women, including action plans and monitoring and evaluation frameworks, and updating reports on the state of violence against women in Lebanon.
- Political Advisor for the Equality for All Project, January-September 2018, Institute for Women’s Studies at the Lebanese American University.
- Advisor, National Commission for Lebanese Women, preparing annual reports for the years 2013-2016 on the implementation of the National Strategy for Women in Lebanon (2011-2021) and developing the National Action Plan for 2017-2019.
- Expert, European Union (EUROKNOW), September-October 2016, Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Project in Lebanon (Advocacy for Women’s Quota).
- Consultant, Family Planning Association and Friedrich Ebert Foundation, January-May 2013, Project to Assess Women’s Work in Municipalities.
- Consultant, USAID, April-June 2012, Gender Assessment Project in Lebanon.
- Senior Analyst, Lebanon Statistics Company, 2000-2015.
- Consultant, International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, 2009-2011, Project on Women’s Status in the Middle East and North Africa.
- Consultant on Opinion Polls, International Republican Institute, 2006-2010.
- Consultant, National Commission for Lebanese Women, 2004 and 2006, preparing the section related to women’s political participation in Lebanon for the national report submitted to CEDAW.
- Editor-in-Chief, Issue 109/110, Al-Raida Journal, Center for Women’s Studies at the Lebanese American University, April-June 2005.
- University Professor at the Faculty of Law and Political Science at the Lebanese University, 1979-2014.
- Adjunct Professor at the American University of Beirut, 1979-2006.
- Adjunct Professor at Haigazian University, 1991-2013.
Major Achievements
Publications (Books, Articles, Reports, etc.):
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.
Competences & Skills
Field(s) of 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)