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Wonderful Women Interview #15 – Hannah Hier

Bristol Women’s Voice Wonderful Women Awards were presented as part of our International Women’s Day celebrations on the 3rd of March. We celebrated over 50 women from across Bristol  who had been nominated for their contribution to their communities.

Hannah Hier

Hannah Hier received a Wonderful Women Award for her dedication to raising awareness across women’s rights, LGBT rights, the environment, BAME rights. Hannah helps organise marches and discussion evenings and has spoken at Bristol Time’s up women’s march. Hannah is Youth Mayor of Bristol alongside Jack Pitt.

What advice would you give your younger self? 

I’m only fifteen years old so I still have a lot of learning to do, but to my younger self I would say “I know it’s hard but try and care less about what people think, because it’s only going to make you feel miserable if you do”. I would also say, “don’t be afraid to stop being friends with certain people that make you feel bad about yourself, there are other people out there that are amazing” and finally, “practice more piano! ”

Which women have inspired you? 

Well I always grew up with quite proactive women around me, like my mum and my Nan so that kind of inspired me to be as active and busy as I am now in stuff like feminism and youth voice. Also in the last few years I’ve met so many new inspiring people, like Carly who runs FEN (Female Empowerment Network) in Bristol who organised a women’s march in a matter of days and is an all round inspiring, friendly lady. She and lots of other women like Dahl Leah, Susan, Rhea and Rhiannon inspired me to help organise the women’s march this year. There are so many more women that inspire me, like my amazing friends at school who are the most supportive and fun people, to my amazing organised and friendly teachers.

What do you want to see change for women in Bristol?

For me, I want to see women and girls feeling safe in Bristol as unfortunately me and many of my friends and people I know have experienced either street harassment or harassment in clubs and public places. It angers me to think that lots of women don’t feel safe walking around in their own city or community, when it’s their right to feel safe and comfortable. I know there are many amazing projects like Bristol Zero Tolerance who are tackling this problem and I hope to see a future where there is more respect and empathy towards women in Bristol.

Is there anything that you have read, seen or listened to recently which has inspired you? 

Recently I have been reading a lot of blogs on this feminist website called FGRLS CLUB and it’s really interesting and generally just fun to read . Also I have been watching loads of videos on YouTube of the March For Our Lives campaign in America to create stricter laws and regulations around guns, and honestly to see people around my age and younger speak so emotionally and passionately about something in front of so many people was absolutely incredible. Something that I really look up to and admire in people is being passionate for something, you know whether it be dogs or feminism it’s really inspiring and awesome to see that in someone. When Emma Gonzalez finished her speech with the phrase “fight for your lives before it’s someone else’s job” I thought, wow, now that’s how you finish a speech.

Are there three words you would use to describe your local community? 

Determined, family-orientated and hopeful.

What hopes do you have for your local community in 2018? 

I hope that the high spirits and determination of the community continue and we work together in furthering the amazing events that happen like the local festival day we have and various other projects, but I also hope the people in the community work together more to make it safe and inclusive for everyone

 

If you want to keep up to date with the work that Hannah and Jack (Youth Mayors of Bristol) do around PSHE (Person, Social, Health, Education) and youth voice in general, follow their twitter account: @BristolYMayors

Bristol Women’s Voice are marking 100 years since the first women in the UK were given the vote with ‘Deeds not Words’ a year-long programme of events across the city. Find out about Deeds not Words events in Bristol here

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