#51: Being a Mum and Trying to Change the World with Hannah Thompson

This week Mary Ann talks to Hannah Thompson about mothering and humanitarian work, the challenges of traveling and risky contexts when you are a mum and how becoming mothers has affected our approach to our work in the international development sector.

Hannah Thompson is a consultant whose work focuses on preventing sexual and gender-based violence as well as protecting children from violence, exploitation, and abuse; preventing and responding to sexual and gender-based violence; and providing education in fragile settings. Hannah has lived and worked in complex emergency, natural disaster, and developing country contexts, mostly in South and Southeast Asia and West Africa. She looks to understand how best to enable children to reach their full potential and how to ensure full gender equality – where women have economic and political power, men have the right to express emotions, and those of diverse sexual orientation or gender identity have rights on an equal footing to all. Hannah’s on-going learning in these areas drives her work and influences who she is as a mother.