Getting to Know
Our Members
IAWRT’S LONGEST SERVING MEMBER
By Mal Johnson
IAWRT member Leila Doss never speaks about
her achievements unless she pressed to do
so.
Leila Doss has been a member of IAWRT since
its founding after World War II. Ms Doss was
born in Egypt and has the distinction of
being the first Egyptian woman broadcaster
and programme director in that country. It
did not take her long to realize that all
was not as it should be. Leila resigned in
protest against British control of Egyptian
State broadcasting. She was possibly the
first women to publicly protest British
colonial rule over the media in that
country. But the American University in
Cairo was happy to have her join the faculty
where she taught English Literature and
Creative Writing.
Doss’s talents were soon recognized and she
became one of the earliest employees at the
newly established United Nations Department
of Public Information. She served in New
York, Geneva, Cairo, Vienna, Bangkok and
Rangoon. Her responsibilities including the
planning and implementing worldwide
information campaigns, including such issues
as women, the disabled, crime, energy,
economic development, trade and the
environment, all subjects of major United
Nations conferences.
Leila became another first when Secretary-
General Perez de Cuellar took office and his
first appointment was Leila Doss to the post
of Assistant Secretary-General for Personnel
Services. In that capacity she administered
a staff of 18,000, drawn from every country
in the world. This reporter was present when
Leila Doss was honored during the 48th
Session of the Commission on the Status of
Women as the first female at the UN to hold
a high level position.
Since her retirement from the UN, Leila has
continued her membership in IAWRT and serves
as the Alternate Representative to the UN
for IAWRT along with Main representative Mal
Johnson and she is active in the United
Nations Association, the society for
International Development, and the Academic
Council on the UN System. She writes and
lectures widely on international affairs.
She teaches courses on multilateralism and
international communications at Long Island
University and in a programme at Fordham
University which provides internships at the
United Nations.
IAWRT is proud to count Leila Doss as its
longest and loyal member of IAWRT. |
Leila Doss |
