Ghada Barsoum

Ghada Barsoum

Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Public Policy and Administration, American University in Cairo

Ghada Barsoum is an Associate Professor (with tenure) and the Chair of the Department of Public Policy and Administration at The American University in Cairo (AUC). Barsoum has more than sixty publications including articles in reputable top peer-reviewed journals; technical reports, book chapters, encyclopedia entries, policy papers and a book on women's employment. She writes and teaches on issues pertaining to social policies in the Middle East, gender, higher education, and employment policies. Barsoum has consulted for a number of organizations including the International Labor Organization, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNDP, UNICEF and the World Bank. Prior to joining AUC, Barsoum was research associate at the Population Council, West Asia and North Africa Office, where she spearheaded efforts for a national survey on youth in Egypt. Barsoum obtained her PhD in Sociology from the University of Toronto and her master’s degree from AUC.

Areas of Interest:

  • Labor
  • Social Policy

Education:

  • PhD, Department of Sociology, University of Toronto, Canada, 1999-2005
  • MA, Sociology/Anthropology, The American University in Cairo, Egypt, 1996-1999
  • BA, English Literature, Ain Shams University, Egypt, 1983-1987

Experience:

  • Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Public Policy and Administration, American University in Cairo - Present
  • Assistant Professor, Public Policy and Administration Department,  American University in Cairo, September 2010 
  • Program Director – Master of Public Policy (MPP), January 15, 2014 - Date
  • Research Associate - Senior Program Manager, Poverty, Gender and Youth Program, The Population Council, West Asia and North Africa Office, Cairo, July 2006 – July 2010

Latest Publications:

  • Said, Mona; Mahdi Majbouri and Ghada Barsoum. Forthcoming. “Sticky Floors and Glass Ceilings: Gender Wage Gap in Egypt” Feminist Economics. Accepted July 2021.
  • Barsoum, Ghada and Selwaness, Irene. 2022. “Egypt’s reformed social insurance system: How might design change incentivize enrolment? International Social Security Review. Vol. 75, No. 2. (June 2022)
  • Barsoum, Ghada. 2021. “From Fisher wives to fish vendors: Gendered livelihood transitions in a fishing village in Egypt”. Journal of Rural Studies. Vol. 88, pages 117-125 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2021.10.012)
When Formality Is Costly and Informality Is Legal: Social Insurance Design Woes at A Time of Economic Crises

Areas of Interest: Labor Social Policy Education: PhD, Department of Sociology, University of Toronto, Canada, 1999-2005 MA, Sociology/Anthropology, The... Read More

November, 2023

Working Papers
Between Costly Formality and Legal Informality: Egypt’s Social Insurance Design Woes

Areas of Interest: Labor Social Policy Education: PhD, Department of Sociology, University of Toronto, Canada, 1999-2005 MA, Sociology/Anthropology, The... Read More

November, 2023

Policy Briefs
A No Woman’s Place: Employers’ Discrimination and Hiring Challenges in Less Feminized Sectors in Egypt

Areas of Interest: Labor Social Policy Education: PhD, Department of Sociology, University of Toronto, Canada, 1999-2005 MA, Sociology/Anthropology, The... Read More

November, 2023

Working Papers
No Place for a Woman:Employers’ Discriminationand Hiring Challengesin Less Feminized Sectorsin Egypt

Areas of Interest: Labor Social Policy Education: PhD, Department of Sociology, University of Toronto, Canada, 1999-2005 MA, Sociology/Anthropology, The... Read More

November, 2023

Policy Briefs
Green Jobs and the Future of Work in Egypt: A Focus on the Agriculture and Renewable Energy Sectors

Areas of Interest: Labor Social Policy Education: PhD, Department of Sociology, University of Toronto, Canada, 1999-2005 MA, Sociology/Anthropology, The... Read More

June, 2023

Policy Research Reports
3
The Economic Impact of COVID-19 in MENA Region
The Economic Impact of COVID-19 in MENA Region

Areas of Interest: Labor Social Policy Education: PhD, Department of Sociology, University of Toronto, Canada, 1999-2005 MA, Sociology/Anthropology, The... Read More

2020-05-01

Conferences
Reimagining Social Protection in MENA

Areas of Interest: Labor Social Policy Education: PhD, Department of Sociology, University of Toronto, Canada, 1999-2005 MA, Sociology/Anthropology, The... Read More

Nov 19, 2023

Annual Conferences
Revisiting Macroeconomic Management in Times of Crisis and Beyond – Parallel Sessions – March 27

Areas of Interest: Labor Social Policy Education: PhD, Department of Sociology, University of Toronto, Canada, 1999-2005 MA, Sociology/Anthropology, The... Read More

Mar 26, 2022

Webinars
Dialogues on the Future of Work in the Global South: Building narratives from the Middle East and North Africa

Areas of Interest: Labor Social Policy Education: PhD, Department of Sociology, University of Toronto, Canada, 1999-2005 MA, Sociology/Anthropology, The... Read More

Jul 26, 2021

Webinars
Regional Launch of Progress of Women in the Arab States 2020 Report

Areas of Interest: Labor Social Policy Education: PhD, Department of Sociology, University of Toronto, Canada, 1999-2005 MA, Sociology/Anthropology, The... Read More

Dec 07, 2020

Initiatives & Partnerships

Data Portal

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