Journalist, broadcaster & speaker, Lesley Abdela wins 2009 Woman Political Journalist of the Year Award

Lesley Abdela is the winner of  the 2009 Winner of the Dods & Scottish Widows Women In Public Life Awards.  the announcement was made at the Commonwealth Club in London on Wednesday March 4th 2009.  The Awards, now in their third year, aim to highlight the achievements of outstanding women role models.

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.  In May 2006 Lesley Abdela was voted 34th in the New Statesman’s Top 50 Heroes Of Our Time.

Others shortlisted for Woman Political Journalist of the Year included the Independent’s Yasmin Alibhai Brown.  Last year’s winner was BBC Economics Editor Stephanie Flanders, and in 2007 the Guardian’s Polly Toynbee.

The winners were chosen by a vote of the most discriminating political observers in the UK – the Parliamentary Press Lobby, Members of Parliament, and Members of the House of Lords