Lesley Abdela was named the 2009 UK Woman Political Journalist of the Year as part of the Women In Public Life Awards. Awardees were chose by votes of the Parliamentary Press Lobby, Members of Parliament and Members of the House of Lords. Abdela was in Iraq to help advance women’s democracy in the new Iraqi Constitution. She is also an international gender/post-conflict reconstruction expert. The awards, now in their third year, aim to highlight the achievements of outstanding women role models. Read more about Abdela and other winners.