Between conviction and care: A woman in humanitarian work
13 August 2025Fatoumata leads emergency responses in Guinea with Plan International. She wants to see more women working in this field and believes being a woman makes her good at her job.
By Fatoumata Amadou Bah, Disaster and Risk Management Specialist, Plan International Guinea
People often ask me how I balance it all – being a wife, a mother, and a humanitarian. The truth is, it’s not always easy, but this job, with all its challenges, has given me something nothing else ever could: a sense of deep purpose.
I didn’t start my career in humanitarian work. I’ve worked in administration, sales, supply chain, communications, all kinds of roles, but something was missing. I wanted my work to mean something, so I began to train in disaster risk management. I studied project management, ethics, logistics, and child protection. Slowly, I found my way into the humanitarian world.
Today, I lead emergency responses in Guinea with Plan International. When disaster strikes, I help coordinate the efforts to keep children and communities safe, sometimes with very little time or resources. It’s intense, emotional, and often unpredictable, but it matters.
Learning from the women I serve
Being a woman in this field comes with its own set of challenges. There are no fixed hours or quiet weekends. You might be deep in planning a crisis response when your children are waiting for dinner at home. You learn to juggle, and you learn just how strong you are.
“I want to see more women in this work, not just participating, but leading.”
Some people assume this work is too tough for women, but I believe being a woman is what makes me good at it. I bring empathy, intuition, and resilience. I’ve learned from the women in the communities I serve: mothers rebuilding homes after floods, girls walking hours to school, neighbours supporting one another through hardship. They teach me courage every single day.
What keeps me going is knowing I’m not alone. I have a family that believes in me, colleagues who support me, and a community of humanitarians who care deeply about justice and dignity. And I want to see more women in this work, not just participating, but leading.
If I could share one message with young women who dream of making a difference, it would be this: you belong here. Humanitarian work needs your voice, your ideas, your passion. It’s not always easy, but it’s beautiful, and it’s worth it.
Categories: Emergencies
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