Vera Baboun
March 5, 2018 — People
Former Mayor of Bethlehem and Member of the Palestinian National Council
Vera Baboun is a member of the Palestinian National Council. Baboun was elected as the 1st Woman Mayor of the City of Bethlehem in (November 14, 2012 – May 27, 2017) to be the first woman mayor of the city since its inception in 1857. Within her municipal duties, she was president or vice president for six joint service councils to the Governorate of Bethlehem including water, electricity and waste management. Between 2012/2017, Baboun was the executive secretary of The Association of Palestinian Local Authorities (APLA).
Between 2018/2019, Baboun became a member of the working group for the establishment of the regional network for women in elections in the Arab world led by the Organization of Arab Electoral Management Bodies (ArabEMBs) and the UNDP’s Regional Electoral Support for Middle East and North Africa. Baboun is a gender researcher, activist, and lecturer and worked in 2018 with the UN Somalia JPLG program on Inclusive Governance to enhance the participation of women and youth in central and local governments in Somalia and Somaliland. Between 1990/2000, Baboun served as a lecturer of English Literature and Gender Studies at Bethlehem University.