Vera Baboun

Vera George Ghattas Baboun
Palestinian Ambassador to Chile
Incumbent
Assumed office
2022
Preceded byImad Al Jada
Mayor of Bethlehem
In office
October 2012 – 27 May 2017
Preceded byVictor Batarseh
Succeeded byAnton Salman
Personal details
Born (1964-10-06) 6 October 1964 (age 60)
Bethlehem
NationalityPalestinian
Political partyIndependent
SpouseHanna (Johnny) Baboun (passed away 25 April 2007)
Children5
Alma materBethlehem University Hebrew University

Vera George Ghattas Baboun (Arabic: فيرا جورج غطاس بابون, born 6 October 1964) is a Palestinian politician who served as the first female mayor of Bethlehem.[1][2] Baboun has a master's degree in African-American literature.[3] Prior to her election, she became the principal of the Roman Catholic High School in Beit Sahour[3] (2010-2012) and was an English literature lecturer at Bethlehem University,[4][5] (1990-2010) where she was also the Assistant Dean of Students (2000-2006).[5] Additionally, she is the chairperson of the Board of Directors for Guidance and Training Centre for Family and Children[3][5] as well as a gender studies researcher in GRACE (Gender Research in Africa and the Middle East into ICTs for Empowerment) network looking at the role of information technology in empowering women in the Arab world.[3][4][5] Baboun is the mother of five children.[2] She is a Palestinian Christian.[1][6]

  1. ^ a b Bohn, Lauren E. (22 December 2012). "New female mayor gears Bethlehem up for Christmas". Associated Press. Retrieved 25 December 2012.
  2. ^ a b Kuttab, Daoud (23 December 2012). "Bethlehem Has New Female Mayor, Yet Same Old Problems". Al-Monitor. Retrieved 25 December 2012.
  3. ^ a b c d "Female candidate tops list to become mayor of Bethlehem". Ma'an News Agency. 29 September 2012. Archived from the original on 17 December 2013. Retrieved 25 December 2012.
  4. ^ a b Abdalla, Jihan (14 October 2012). "Palestinian women look to Bethlehem where Vera Baboun is running for mayor". Reuters. Retrieved 25 December 2012.
  5. ^ a b c d "VERA BABOUN Researcher, Palestine". Grace Network. Archived from the original on 6 September 2013. Retrieved 25 December 2012.
  6. ^ "Eine Frau für Bethlehem". Die Welt (in German). 12 December 2012. Retrieved 25 December 2012. Die Palästinenserin mit den markanten grünen Augen hat sich einiges vorgenommen.