Biographical notes on experts

1. Ms. Gloria Bonder (Argentina)

Adviser on gender planning to the Science and Technology Secretariat, Ministry of Culture and Education (Argentina); Director of the Postgraduate Interdisciplinary Programme in Women’s Studies, University of Buenos Aires; Coordinator of the UNESCO Regional Forum on Women, Science and Technology, Bariloche, Argentina (1998), the preparatory event for the UNESCO World Conference on Science, Budapest 1999; Founding Director of the Centro de Estudios de la Mujer (1979-1991) and General Coordinator of the National Programme for Women’s Equal Opportunities in Education, Ministry of Culture and Education, Argentina (1991-1995); has worked extensively on education and training in women and girls in Latin America, including removal of bias from education and equal access to science and technology; holds MA in Psychology, University of Buenos Aires (Argentina) and Postgraduate Specialization in Gender and Education, University of Cambridge (England).

2. Mr. Juan Guillermo Figueroa (Mexico)

Professor and researcher at the Centro de Estudios Demográficos y de Desarrollo Urbano of El Colegio de México; over 20 years experience working in areas related to reproductive behavior and health; focus on ethics and reproductive rights; has been coordinating seminars regarding "ethics and reproductive health", "women's reproductive rights" and "sexuality, reproduction and health within the male perspective" for the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and for El Colegio de México; is also undertaking joint projects with NGOs on health and reproductive rights (of both women and men).

3. Mr. Kennedy Graham (New Zealand)

Director, UN University Leadership Academy, Amman, Jordan; former Director of Planning, International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, Stockholm, Sweden (1996-1998); Secretary-General, Parliamentarians for Global Action, New York (1989-1995); New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs, based in Canada, Thailand and Geneva (1972-1988); holds MA Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Boston (USA) and Ph.D. in Political Sciences from Victoria University, Auckland (New Zealand).

4. Ms. Nadia Hijab (Jordan/Palestine)

Author and Development Consultant with twenty years experience in print and

audiovisual media prior to joining UNDP in 1989, becoming Senior Advisor in 1995; has worked extensively on sustainable human development, gender, labour, human rights, civil society, change management; author of Womenpower: The Arab Debate on Women at Work (1988), co-author of Citizen's Apart: A portrait of Palestinians in Israel (1990); speaker at many academic and other institutions; holds MA in English Literature from the American University of Beirut (Lebanon).

5. Ms. Nüket Kardam (Turkey)

Associate Professor and Program Director for the MPA Programme in International Public Administration at the Graduate School of International Policy Studies, Monterey Institute of International Studies (USA); has worked on development and governance issues and published articles on women’s issues in international development programmes, women’s human rights, questions of accountability for gender policy. Carried out research and surveys in Central Asia, in particular Turkey and Turkmenistan. Holds Ph.D. in Political Science/International Relations from Michigan State University (USA).

6. Ms. Lin Lean Lim (International Labour Office)

Head of the Gender Promotion Programme of the International Labour Office; previously managed the International Programme on More and Better Jobs for Women and was also a Senior ILO Specialist on Women Workers' Questions for Asia and the Pacific; previously Associate Professor of Applied Economics at the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur; Development Economist by training and author of numerous publications on women's employment, migration and related issues

7. Ms. Colleen Lowe Morna (South Africa)

Chief Executive Officer, Commission on Gender Equality, on eof the six bodies established by the new South African constitution for the promotion of democracy; Adviser, Gender and Development, Commonwealth Special Programme of Assistance to South Africa (1994-1999), Chief Programme Officer, Commonwealth Observer Mission to South Africa (1992-1994); Former Africa Coordinator, Inter Press Service (IPS) (1987-1990); established Africa Network of Women’s Feature Service (WFS); extensive experience in peace-keeping, gender equality, national machinery for the advancement of women and media; holds MA in Journalism from Columbia University, New York (USA) and BA in International Relations from Princeton University, New Jersey (USA).

8. Ms. Madhu Bala Nath (UNAIDS/UNIFEM)

UNAIDS/UNIFEM Gender and HIV/AIDS Adviser, responsible for programme implementation and advocacy within the UN system and with partners from civil society so as to enable incorporation of gender concerns in HIV and development issues; former UNIFEM regional Programme Adviser India and Indo-China; has worked on woman and HIV and AIDS for many years, including on training and advocacy strategies, support to NGOs; holds MA in history and education.

9. Mr. Riad Tabbarah (Lebanon)

Director, Center for Development Studies and Projects (MADMA), National Coordinator of population programmes in Lebanon; previous positions include Ambassador of Lebanon to the United States, 1994-1997; Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, 1991- 1994; Chief, Social Development, Population and Human Settlements Division, Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia; UNDP Resident Representative to Tunisia and the Arab League; Associate Research Professor, UC at Berkeley, 1970-1971; holds a Ph.D. (Economy) from Vanderbilt University; Author of some fifty-five publications, including Demographic Techniques for Manpower Planning in Developing Countries, USAID, 1963, Human Development, Lebanon, United Nations Development Programme and Lebanese Council for Development and Reconstruction, Beirut, 1998.

10. Ms. Maria Elena Valenzuela (Chile)

Senior Researcher at the Centre de Estudios de la Mujer (CEM) in Santiago (Chile), former Director of the Servicio Nacional de la Mujer (SERNAM), the national machinery for the Advancement of Women in Chile; University professor at the University of Chile, guest lecturer at universities in the United States and Brazil; has published on many topics related to the advancement of women including employment, female heads of household, women in the military and the gender dimension in poverty eradication; holds a degree in Sociology from the University of Chile.