Michaela Bergman

Michaela Bergman
Born	1962/1963 London, England
Died	2023
Education	Queen's College, London; King's College London (LLB); London School of Economics (MSc)

Michaela Bergman (1962/1963–2023) was a British social development advocate. She was known for her work regarding gender equality at institutions such as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).[1]

Early life and education

Bergman was born in London. She attended Queen's College, London, and graduated with a law degree from King's College London in 1983. She later pursued a Master of Science in social anthropology at the London School of Economics (LSE) in 1995.[2][3]

Career

Bergman began her career at the Institute of Child Health at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London. She then studied Mandarin in Taiwan, returning to London in 1989 to work at HelpAge International. There, she developed programs such as meals on wheels and podiatry clinics for older adults in eastern Europe.[2][4]

In 2001, Bergman became a senior democratisation officer with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)'s mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina. She later worked as a consultant on social issues with the United Nations, the UK's Department for International Development (DfID), and the Asian Development Bank.[2][5]

In 2005, Bergman joined the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). In 2012, she became the EBRD's chief social counsellor, where she led its first strategy for the promotion of gender equality.[2][6]

In 2017, Bergman joined the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in Beijing as its principal social development specialist.[2]

Recognition

In 2014, she was one of the BBC's 100 Women[7] and took part in a BBC-led event which "looked at the lives of women around the world to mark 100 years of feminism".[8]

Death

She died in 2023 of a cancer linked to a BRCA gene mutation, a condition common among the Ashkenazi Jewish community.[2]

References

1. Kilpatrick, Andrew; Williams, Anthony (2021-09-29). Transforming Markets: A Development Bank for the 21st Century. A History of the EBRD, Volume 2. Central European University Press. ISBN 978-963-386-412-8.
2. Perkins, Itziar (25 January 2023). "Michaela Bergman obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
3. Feldman, Stanley (2016-07-28). Panic Nation: Exposing the myths we're told about food and health. Kings Road Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85782-840-5.
4. Tutchell, Eva; Edmonds, John (2016-03-09). Man-Made: Why So Few Women Are in Positions of Power. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-10114-7.
5. Programme, United Nations Housing Rights (2011). Losing Your Home: Assessing the Impact of Eviction. United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT). ISBN 978-92-1-132388-7.
6. Price, Susanna; Singer, Jane (2019-03-28). Country Frameworks for Development Displacement and Resettlement: Reducing Risk, Building Resilience. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-351-03180-6.
7. "Who are the 100 Women 2014?". BBC News. 26 October 2014. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
8. Bergman, quoted in "Michaela Bergman reflects on importance of supporting women". Daily the Pak Banker. Lahore, Pakistan. 21 November 2013. Retrieved 19 January 2025 – via Gale.com. (subscription required)