Career
Other activities
Theorical training
Further training
International work
Languages
Current Manager and Consultant at Elle-Consult
Helle JACOBSEN has worked as a research assistant at the University of Copenhagen, at the Danish Institute of Educational Research, at the Danish Royal School of Teacher Education and at the Danish Research Council. She worked since 1986 as principal and from 1988 as Deputy Chief of the Danish Equal Status Council (The Prime Minister's office) where she has been responsible for a project on equal opportunities in education.
She was in 1989 a consultant to the EU Commission's Equal Opportunity Unit preparing the first draft of the Commission's Third Action Programme on Equal Opportunity for women and men. She was afterwards until 1992 a National Expert at the EU where she had the responsibility for setting up the European Network on Women in the ëDecision-Making Process' and developing policies in this area.
Back in Denmark, she worked again at the Danish Equal Status Council as Deputy chief in charge of a Nordic study on development of women's competence, advancement and management qualifications initiated by the Nordic Council of Ministers, and she was in charge of the Council's annual report., including statistics on women's situation in the labour market and in the Danish society.
She was also the Danish national expert to the European Commission's network "Women in Decision making"and since 1996/97 coordinator and member of the Danish network ëWomen at the table'.
In 1997, she established her own enterprise offering consultancy work on equal opportunity. At the moment, she has a contract with the Danish Agency for Trade and Industry on a government initiative on ìWomen as entrepreneursî. Furthermore, she is the author and editor of several publications and articles on equal opportunities and women. She has been member of UNESCO's national Commission's equal opportunitiesî board, and been a speaker at many international and Eastern European conferences on women's situation in society. She has established and participates actively in more women's networks at a national and international level.
In 1999, she was a consultant to the Ministry of Labour, being a coordinator and manager of the EU NOW workshop on unemployed women trained for management positions.
Since 2000 she is a consultant to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, drafting Denmark's 5th CEDAW report to the UN. Moreover, she is a consultant to the Nordic Councils of Ministers contributing to the arrangement of the OECD conference on "Gender and Mainstreaming" in Paris in November 2000.
- 99-2000: Evaluator and expert to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Drawing up the Danish CEDAW report on Equal Opportunities policy for the last 4 years in Denmark- 99: Evaluator for the Association of Women Business Owners (KV)
Evaluation of a mentoring project on «Strategic Networking», funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs- 97-99: Consultant to and Project Manager for the Danish Agency for Trade and Industry
Developing a new policy area on «women as entrepreneurs» for the Ministry (analyses, policy development, and reports)- 97-98: Coordinator of the Equal Status Councilís conference in April 98 on Gender and Information Technology
- 97: Established consultancy firm: Elle-Consult
Self-employed equal opportunities consultant working for national, regional and local authorities &endash; and counselling women starting their own business- 97-: External expert to the Danish Centre of Computer Supported Education
- 96- : Member of the Coordination group of the Danish network «Kvinder ved Bordet» - Women at Table. Networking and database of women at top positions in Denmark, and organising the yearly conference/network-meeting on management/leadership. The latest conference in September 99 had the title: «From which means shall Denmark continue to survive?» &endash; the Minister of Business was participating
- 96-: Transnational partner and the Danish Expert of the EU project «European Database &endash; Women in Decision-Making» See homepage: www.db-decision.de
- 92-97: The Danish Equal Status Council, the Prime Minister's Office
- Since 92 worked as Deputy Head of Secretariat - 94-95 worked 7 months as Acting Head of Secretariat.
- 92-94 Head of a Nordic project on the competence development, promotion and leadership qualities of women, published in 94, and drafting the Equal Status Councilís annual report on womenís situation on the labour maket and in the society as such in Denmark. Moreover she has been in charge of the areas "Education and Equal Opportunities", "Women in Decision-Making" and "Information" - and personell policy, for instance drafting the human resource policy of the secretariat. Moreover, I have been in charge of international activities concerning EU, the Council of Europe, the Baltic and Nordic Cooperation - and have been involved in UN-work (for instance preparing and taking part in the oral examination in UN in January 97 on the Danish CEDAW-report).
- 92-96: The EU-Commission, DG V
- Danish National Expert on the European Network «Women in Decision-Making».
- 90-92: The EU Commission, DG V
- Worked as a National Expert at the Equal Opportunities Unit where I was in charge of "Education and Equal Opportunities". I had the cooperation contacts with Task Force of Human Resources. I was initiating transnational projects and had lots of contacts with Member States. I also had contact with the programmes of NOW, IRIS and PETRA. Moreover I was in charge of "Women in Decision-Making", "Information and Awareness Raising", and "Contact with the Nordic Countries".
- 1989 The EU Commission, DG V
- Worked as a Consultant to the EU Commission's Equal Opportunities Unit on preparing the draft of the Commission's Third Action Programme on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men, 91-95.
- 1986-89: The Danish Equal Status Council, the Prime Minister's Office
- 1986-88 worked as Principal and 1988-89 as Deputy Head of Secretariat. Worked as Head of a project on education and equal opportunities in primary and lower secondary school - and in teacher education. I was also in charge of the Council's activities concerning vocational education and training for women and the strategy "women in men's professions".
- 1985-86: The Danish Royal School of Teacher Education
- Worked as a research assistant concerning an evaluation study of teacher training.
- 1980-85: The Danish Research Council, Ministry of Education and Research
- Worked as a research secretary for the Committee on Educational Research (a cooperation project on social sciences and humanities). The purpose was to initiate and coordinate the educational research in Denmark in fields such as vocational training and higher education - in relation to a changing technological society. Was responsible for seminars, publications, news letter - and recommending projects to be granted by the Research Council. Moreover responsible for administration and personell management.
- 1978-81: The Danish Institute for Educational Research
- Worked as a research assistant and was in charge of a project on "School boredom" which later was published by Unge Pædagoger.
- 1975-78: The University of Copenhagen
- Worked as a research and administrative assistant of a joint pedagogical and sociological project on "Life in the class room". I was part of the research-group who published the book «School days» by Unge Pædagoger
- I made an empirical study in the Danish primary school. The study was published by Gyldendal: «A school in conflict with itself».
- 1974: The University of Copenhagen : Worked as an assistant at Statistical Institute.
- 1963-74: The University of Copenhagen : Worked as a research assistant at the Institute of Sociology of Religion on a dissertation project on "Folk Religion in Denmark".
- Lecturer: Guest lecturer on several occasions for institutions and companies on the following topics: living conditions for women, equal opportunity, EU policy on education, EU policy on equal opportunities, EU policy and employment for women, career development for women, women in decision making, business women and women entrepreneurs, pedagogical topics. Also many lecturers in international settings.
- Author of books and articles.
- Honorary offices and memberships:
99-: Member of Womenís Entrepreneur Network (KIN)
96-: Initiator and member of the coordination group of «Women at Table» (Kvinder ved Bordet)
96-97: Representing the Danish Equal Status Council at several committees, for instance The Cross.-Ministerial Committee on Children, The Council for Study- and Vocational Counseling (R.U.E.)
94- : Member of different networks on Women in Decision- Making, for instance the European Womenís Management Development Network (EWMD); The Association of Women Business Owners (KV); The Association of Women in Business (EK)
94-95: Member of the EU Advisory Committee on Equal Opportunities between Women and Men
94-95: Vice President of the Danish board of the EU "Europe Women's Prize"
93-97: Member of UNESCO's national Commission's equal opportunities' board
92-96 : The Danish expert on the EU Network on Women in Decision-Making
92-96 : Danish representative on the EU Working Party on Equal Opportunities for Girls and Boys in Education
92- : Member of the European Movement
92-94: Member of the Danish board on monitoring the NOW initiative
1988-89: Member of the equal opportunities committee of the academics' trade union (AC)
1985-89: Active in the trade union of Danish Psychologists (DP): Member of the committee of education and research, Chair of the equal opportunities committee
1984-85: Member of Nordic association on Pedagogical Research (NFPF)
1980-90: Member of the board of the association on social pedagogics
1980: Awarded bachelor of Applied Psychology, University of Copenhagen. Thesis in the field of Pedagogical Psychology
1963-65: Student of Law, University of Copenhagen
1963: Spanish studies, University of Barcelona
1962-63: Commercial College in Copenhagen (English, German, Spanish)
1962: Upper Secondary School from Nørre Gymnasium in Copenhagen (modern side of grammar school: English, German, French)
97: Computer courses (Word, Lotus Notes)
95: Management course of The Education House (Uddannelseshuset) «Self Management - Dependent on the Situation»
1989-95: Courses of French in Brussels (the Commission's Language School) and in Copenhagen (the language School of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
94: Management course of the Danish Highschool of Administration "Basic Leadership - the challenges of the manager"
94: Management course of the Danish Journalist Highschool "How to meet a journalist"
1985-88: Courses of data documentation, text treatment, searching on-line
International work (for the last 8 years - a selection)
98-99: Participant at different EU and Eastern European conferences on «Women Entrepreneurs» (for instance in Stockholm in December 98 arranged by NUTEK, and in St. Petersbourg in June 98 arranged by the Womenís Institute in St.ÝPetersbourg)
97: Member of the Programme Committee, speaker and moderator of the Nordic-Baltic Conference «Women and Men in Dialogue» in Valmiera in Latvia arranged by the Nordic Council of Ministers
96: Speaker in Nice at a conference on «The Participation of Women in Decision-Making» arranged by Confédération Européenne des Cadres (CEC)
95: Speaker in Tallinn in Estonia at a seminar on "Women and Human Rights" arranged by Estonian Authorities and the Council of Europe.
Speaker in Riga in Latvia at a symposium on "Women in the Economy and Politics" arranged by the Latvia Authorities and the Nordic Council of Ministers.
Participant in an European Conference in Strasbourg in France on "Equality and Democracy: Utopia or Challenge?", arranged by the Council of Europe.
94: Participant in an East-West Forum in Dresden in Germany on "Equal Opportunities in Europe", arranged by the German EU Presidency.
Speaker at the Directors' Conference in Brussels in Belgium at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) on "Women and European Integration".
Participant in the EU conference in Toledo in Spain on "Fourth World Conference on Women", organised by the European Commission and Institute de la Mujer.
93: Speaker at a conference in Milan in Italy on "Le politiche instituzionali e le donne".
Speaker at the World Association and Girls Guides and Girls Scouts' 28th World Conference in Nyborg in Denmark on "Women in Power".
Speaker at a seminar of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung in Bonn in Germany on "Danish Women and the EU - Challenges for Women in the European Unification Process".
Speaker at Nordic researchers' conference in Stockholm in Sweden on "EU Policy on Equal Opportunities and the Influence of Women"
92: Speaker at an education conference in Rotterdam in the Netherlands on "Equal Opportunities for Girls and Boys in Teacher Education. Policy and Development in Europe".
Speaker at a European colloquium in Brussels in Belgium on "Opening doors", arranged by the European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE).
Speaker at an international seminar in Luxembourg on "Women, Politics and Public Voice in the New Europe".
Speaker at "The First International Council on Education for Women" in Ankara in Turkey, arranged by the Turkish Ministry of Education.
Participant in an interregional EU seminar in Aarhus in Denmark on "Women as Leaders in Public Jobs".
91: Speaker at the European Women's Management Development Network's conference in Brussels in Belgium on "Breaking through - the Way to the Future".
Organiser and speaker at EU conference in Limerick in Ireland on "Equal Opportunities in Teacher Education".
Speaker at EU conference in Bornholm in Denmark on "Vocational training and equal opportunities".
90: Participant in European conference in Vienna in Austria on "Equal Advances in Education Management", arranged by the Council of Europe.
Participant in the European conference in Siena in Italy on "Higher Education and 92. Planning for the year 2000", arranged by the EU Commission.
1989: Participant in the EU conference of the Spanish Presidency in Toledo in Spain on "Evaluation of Community Policy on Equal Opportunities between Women and Men: Outlook for 92".
Danish: mother tongue
Swedish: understand and read Swedish, and speak "Scandinavian"
Norwegian: understand and read Norwegian, and speak "Scandinavian"
English: on negotiation level and as working language
German: understand, read and speak (daily life)
French: read, understand and speak (daily life)
