Maria Geagea
Maria is an experienced Project Manager with over five years of expertise in peacebuilding, social stability, gender equality, and the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda in Lebanon. She is skilled in programme design and management, gender mainstreaming, partnership development, monitoring and evaluation, donor engagement, and strategic planning, with a strong focus on conflict-sensitive and gender-responsive approaches.
Her role focuses on ensuring high-quality programme development and implementation, strengthening partnerships with civil society organizations across the country, and supporting localized peacebuilding initiatives. She also manages the Women Mediators Network under UNSCR 1325, working closely with more than 140 women mediators nationwide to enhance women’s leadership in mediation, crisis response, and community peacebuilding.
Prior to joining International Alert, Maria worked at the National Commission for Lebanese Women (NCLW) as a Program Coordinator and Legal Researcher, where she contributed to national gender equality programmes in collaboration with partners such as GIZ and UNICEF. She also served as a Quantitative Research Assistant, conducting research and producing analytical outputs on gender-based violence and women’s political participation in Lebanon.
Maria holds an Arab Master’s in Democracy and Human Rights from Saint Joseph University and the University of Jordan, with a specialization in Women, Peace and Security and a research focus on the impact of UNSCR 1325 in Jordan and Lebanon. She also holds a Law Degree from the Holy Spirit University and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP®). In addition, Maria has completed advanced training in gender equality, diversity and inclusion, GBV, humanitarian safety, and election observation through a gender lens.
Maria has represented International Alert at regional and international forums, including COP28 in Dubai and the Third Regional Forum on Women and Development in Tunisia, where she contributed to discussions on the intersection of gender, conflict, and climate change.