Welfare services policies

I am a Gender Equality and Human Rights specialist working for 25 years as a team leader and policy advisor on gender equality and women's empowerment with governmental and non-governmental organisations such as the European Commission, UN WOMEN, the Italian Development Cooperation, Oxfam (GB and Intermón), other NGOs and consultancy firms. I obtained a Master’s in Studies of Sexual Difference from the University of Barcelona and a Master's in Human and Women’s Rights in Islam from the University of Rome La Sapienza. My Sectoral Expertise includes Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, Reintegration Policies for GBV Survivors, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Gender and Environmental Management. My Regional Expertise includes MENA region, Africa, Latin America.

I am a specialist on EU’s international cooperation, with more than 13 years of experience in the field of social and democratic inclusion. I have worked in various public and private bodies, including the European Commission (DG INTPA), the Italian Government (under Prime Minister Draghi), international and civil society organisations from Latin America, Asia and the EU. My main areas of expertise include social protection and welfare policies, with a special focus on youth, as well as democratic governance.

I am a Sustainable Development Practitioner with a diverse expanse of interests and subsequent expertise, which are founded on a keen understanding and appreciation for the significance attributed to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Expert and passionate about International Relations, I would like to deepen my knowledge in geopolitics.
I hold a bachelor's degree in International and Diplomatic Affairs and a master's degree in European Studies and Politics.

Since 2021 I work in the European Commission in DG REFORM, the DG responsible for structural reforms in the EU Member States.

Actively studying Ukrainian since a year, I would like to work for UA access to EU and for its support in general.

In my free time I prepare marathons, I play guitar and I follow Fc Inter matches going often to the stadium in Milan :)

As an individual with a deep-rooted passion for political science and a career spanning over two decades at the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida), I have continually sought opportunities to make a meaningful impact on governance, public administration reform, and humanitarian efforts around the world. My academic journey, culminating in a master’s degree in political science from the University of Stockholm, laid the foundation for my commitment to creating positive change through sustainable development practices. This academic achievement has provided me with a solid theoretical background, which I have diligently applied to practical scenarios during my extensive professional tenure at Sida. Since 2021, I´m seconded to DG ECHO and I´m currently working at the policy unit focusing on the humanitarian, development peace nexus as well as on social safety nets in humanitarian contexts.

Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of working on diverse and complex projects, spanning continents, and encompassing critical issues such as public health administration, fiscal reform, anti-corruption initiatives, social protection, poverty reduction, and human rights-based approaches. My experiences in Bangladesh, Guatemala, Honduras, Afghanistan, Latin America and Brussels have not only broadened my horizons but have also underscored the significance of adaptable, innovative, and evidence-based policymaking to address the multifaceted challenges facing our world today.

Social anthropologist trained at Cambridge, teaching and researching on Global Mental Health at the University of Amsterdam. I use social anthropology to identify unmet health needs and facilitate collaborative solutions on the ground in the Global South. I pioneer the cross-cultural study of intellectual disability through long-term qualitative research in India, the UK, and Italy (15+ publications in peer-reviewed journals, 3 edited volumes: (https://uva.academia.edu/PatrickMcKearney). Current project: international stakeholder collaboration in order to innovate new responses to care gaps for people with intellectual disabilities across the Global South, especially in South Asia