Helene Carlsson Rex is World Bank Africa East and South Practice Manager for Social Sustainability & Inclusion. Before being Practice Manager, she was a Senior Social Development Specialist and acting Gender Coordinator for the World Bank’s East Asia Region. Prior to her position in Washington DC, Helene was based in the Lao PDR country office where she worked on social inclusion, community-driven development, gender, and youth issues as well as social safeguards. She has been focusing extensively on integrating gender issues into operational work, leading for example the Adolescent Girls Initiative in Laos and the regional Integrating Gender into Disaster Risk Management projects initiative. Prior to moving to the field, Helene worked in the Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Gender Group at the World Bank. Helene holds a Master of Public Policy from Princeton University, the Woodrow Wilson School.