Mary Kawar
Former Minister for Planning, Jordan
Dr. Mary Kawar is the former Jordanian Minister for Planning and International Cooperation. Prior to that she spent 20 years with the International Labour Organisation where her last post was the Director for East Africa after having served in their headquarters in Geneva and the Regional Office for Arab States in Beirut. She has 30 years experience in government and international development across the globe but especially on the Arab region and Jordan. Her expertise is in the areas of labour, youth, gender, social protection, and refugee livelihoods. She had authored several publications and led many research projects. She holds a PhD from the London School of Economics.
- Ph.D. (Development Studies), London School of Economics (LSE), UK, 1997
- M.Sc. (Social Policy and Planning for Developing Countries), LSE, UK, 1989
- B.A. (Anthropology and Economics), Tufts University, Massachusetts, USA, 1988
- The Foreign Commonwealth Office Scholarship, British Council 1991-1993
- The Population Council Middle East Research Award 1993 - 1995
- Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, 2018 -2019
- Country Director in East Africa (Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi), International Labour Organization, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, and before Senior Regional Specialist for Employment Policy, Beirut, and for Skills, Employability, Women Workers and Gender, Geneva 1997 - 2017
- Advisor to the Minister of Labour, Ministry of Labour, Jordan (on leave from ILO)
- Consultant, Training and Employment Support Project World Bank, Jordan
- Researcher, Iraq Study Team, Harvard University
- “Decent Work for Sustainable Development in Tanzania”. Dar Es Salaam: International Labour Organisation, Dar Es Salaam, 2017
- “Young People Need Jobs, and So Do Their Parents”. Venture, September 2017 (with Zafiris Tzannatos)
- “Towards Decent Work in Lebanon: Issues and Challenges in Light of the Syrian Refugee Crisis”. Beirut: International Labour Organization Regional Office for Arab States, 2015 (with Salem Ajluni)
- “Impact of the Syrian Refugee Crisis on the Labour Market in Jordan”. Beirut: International Labour Organization Regional Office for Arab States, 2015 (with Salem Ajluni)
- “Young Arabs and Evolving Realities” in Jacqueline Bhabha (ed.) Human Rights and Adolescence, University of Pennsylvania Press, 2014 (with Jocelyn DeJong)
From Protection to Transformation: Understanding the Landscape of Formal Social Protection in Jordan
Education Ph.D. (Development Studies), London School of Economics (LSE), UK, 1997 M.Sc. (Social Policy and Planning for Developing... Read More
September, 2022
Working PapersThe Importance of the Transformative Angle for Advancing the Social Protection Agenda in Jordan
Education Ph.D. (Development Studies), London School of Economics (LSE), UK, 1997 M.Sc. (Social Policy and Planning for Developing... Read More
September, 2022
Policy BriefsReimagining Social Protection in Jordan, Tunisia and Egypt
Education Ph.D. (Development Studies), London School of Economics (LSE), UK, 1997 M.Sc. (Social Policy and Planning for Developing... Read More
2020-11-17
Improving Rigorous Evidence for Better Civic Engagement on Social Protection and Supporting the Network’s Institutional Strengthening
Education Ph.D. (Development Studies), London School of Economics (LSE), UK, 1997 M.Sc. (Social Policy and Planning for Developing... Read More
2020-06-15
Reimagining Social Protection in MENA
Education Ph.D. (Development Studies), London School of Economics (LSE), UK, 1997 M.Sc. (Social Policy and Planning for Developing... Read More
Nov 19, 2023
Book Launch: Retooling Development Aid in the 21st Century – The Importance of Budget Support
Education Ph.D. (Development Studies), London School of Economics (LSE), UK, 1997 M.Sc. (Social Policy and Planning for Developing... Read More
Sep 20, 2023
ERF 29th Annual Conference: The Future of MENA Development Path: Risks and Opportunities in an Emerging World Order
Education Ph.D. (Development Studies), London School of Economics (LSE), UK, 1997 M.Sc. (Social Policy and Planning for Developing... Read More
May 04, 2023
ERF 29th Annual Conference – Parallel Sessions
Education Ph.D. (Development Studies), London School of Economics (LSE), UK, 1997 M.Sc. (Social Policy and Planning for Developing... Read More
May 04, 2023
Policy Conference on Social Protection in Jordan
Education Ph.D. (Development Studies), London School of Economics (LSE), UK, 1997 M.Sc. (Social Policy and Planning for Developing... Read More
Oct 02, 2022