With a background in humanitarianism and social development, Hanna provides technical and research expertise to SDDirect’s Gender-Based Violence and Safeguarding portfolios. As the GBV AoR Helpdesk Manager, she coordinates research and advice services for humanitarian actors working on GBV risk mitigation, prevention and response in emergencies. She has a deep understanding of humanitarian management; refugees and forced migration; sexual and reproductive health programming; and brings key skills in qualitative data analysis and project management to the technical team.
Hanna has extensive experience working with international NGOs, humanitarian aid organisations and development agencies, gaining professional insight from education, environment and nutrition programmes and how these intersect with gender and health. Before joining SDDirect, Hanna was a qualitative analyst for the UN Stabilisation Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) where she supported the provision of third-party monitoring, evaluation and learning services for the UK Government’s Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) West Africa programme. Hanna has also worked with the FCDO as a qualitative coder and analyst for the Stopping Abuse and Female Exploitation (SAFE) programme in Zimbabwe, working with the Evaluation and Learning Unit to identify positive and harmful gender and social norms that drive intimate partner violence and child marriage.
Prior to living in the UK, Hanna was the Communications Manager of the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada, where she oversaw all strategic communications and public relations, producing thought leadership on key environmental and human development issues. Hanna has also worked in Uganda where she led programmatic operations for the Ashinaga Africa Initiative, managing the organisation’s flagship academic and leadership programme to enable key education opportunities for youth from across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Hanna holds an MSc from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) in International Development and Humanitarian Emergencies, and an MA in Psychology and Linguistics from the University of Edinburgh. Hanna is bilingual in English and French.
In her free time, Hanna enjoys reading, perfecting her laksa recipe and getting very competitive at board games.
