Lesley Abdela is a partner in Eyecatcher Associates / Shevolution and is Chief Executive of Project Parity. 

Lesley has over 20 years experience in the fields of gender and democratic development.  Since 1992 she has worked in over 30 countries as an expert advisor to governments and international organisations, NGO's and the private sector.  

Lesley develops strategies and designs training programmes and materials to help build systems where women and men work in equal partnership in work, life and politics.  Lesley's award winning work in the fields of gender, human rights, human resources and democratic empowerment have been widely recognised. As well as her work in this field Lesley Abdela is a journalist, broadcaster and speaker on the international circuit.

1995-2000 - Global Board of The British Council which has offices in over 100 countries.

She was formerly a Governor of Nottingham Trent University and has been on the boards of Westminster Foundation for Democracy and the International Institute for Environment and Development.

Career Summary

Born in London, Lesley Abdela started her career as an Advertising Executive.  She then worked as a Researcher in the House of Commons and House of Lords and stood for Parliament.

In 1980 Lesley founded the all-party 300 Group to campaign to get more women into local, national and European politics in the UK. Between 1979 and 1997 the number of women in the British House of Commons increased from 19 to 121. 

From 1992-1997 she was the European based Consultant on women to Harvard University's Project Liberty.  

From 1993 to 1996 she was Political Editor for Cosmopolitan Magazine. She is currently a contributing editor for Executive Woman Magazine.

For the second half of 1999 Lesley was seconded by the Foreign Office to work as Deputy Director of Democratisation for the OSCE Mission in Kosovo.   

Books

Her published work includes:

• Breaking Through The Glass Ceilings

• Do it! - Walk the Talk - practical manual for employers on how to change the gender culture in the workplace, published by the Metropolitan Local Authorities Association.

• Women With X Appeal - a paperback on the experiences of 30 women in contemporary British politics, published by Optima, 1989.

• What Women Want - a handbook for policy-makers, politicians, researchers, journalists, academics, Media, sponsored by The Body Shop Foundation and Midland Bank.

Television

• Women With X Appeal - Lesley wrote and presented this BBC Television documentary on women in UK Politics.

• Breaking Glass - Lesley was consultant for this 5-part BBC TV series about women at work.

• The Glass Ceiling Breakers - a video on women in the European Union, distributed by DGV of the European Commission in 7 Member States languages.