“Working for the Bulgarian Red Cross has profoundly shaped who I am. It’s more than a job—it’s a calling.”

Tanya has been involved in the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement for years. She started by volunteering for the Bulgarian Red Cross when she was a student and now works as the Director of the Regional Branch of the BRC in Plovdiv, where she shows every day how women can lead with empathy, trust, and tolerance.

"I live and work in one of Europe's oldest and most beautiful cities—Plovdiv, Bulgaria. My mother was an orphan; her father was killed in World War II. From an early age, I was brought up with values of compassion and tolerance. Every Christmas, my family made donations to support orphans. As a university student, I became an active volunteer for the BRC. When I transitioned to full-time employment, I carried these established values, along with the drive to seek change and new solutions. 

As a director and a woman, I dedicated my strength, energy, and sense of beauty to building a Social Home for the Red Cross in my hometown. For 25 years now, this home has welcomed people in need. It is a place where vulnerable people receive number of services provided by staff and volunteers such as  free food, non-food items, a variety of integration activities for migrants - art therapy for children, language courses, internet cafe, etc. The National Contact Centre for Mental Health and Psycho-Social Support based in the Social Home was also created, from where psychologists volunteer to provide important assistance to people in need – for example, during COVID-19, devastating floods occurred in the region, affecting a significant number of Ukrainian people already suffering from the conflict, residing in Bulgaria.

I am proud to say that we have great young volunteers, involved in all of the activities of the branch! Every Red Cross home is built with love, friends, and supporters. It is filled with warmth and empathy. It provides shelter and hope. It is a home with a human face!

Working for the Bulgarian Red Cross has profoundly shaped who I am. It’s more than a job—it’s a calling. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to stand alongside communities in moments of crisis and recovery, and that leaves a lasting impact. It’s taught me resilience, humility, and the deep importance of solidarity. Every day, I’m reminded that small acts of kindness can make a real difference, and that humanity should always be at the heart of our work. 

I’ve learned that leadership is not about always having the answers—it’s about building trust, creating space for others, and staying grounded in our values. As a woman leader, I’ve had to earn respect in rooms that weren’t always used to seeing women in charge. But that experience has made me stronger, more strategic, and more compassionate. I’ve also learned that it’s crucial to support and mentor other women in the field—our leadership styles may differ, but they are equally valuable and deeply needed. 

There are still structural and cultural challenges. In many places, leadership is still associated with more traditional, often male-dominated models. Women often have to work twice as hard to be taken seriously, especially in crisis management roles. There’s also the issue of visibility—many women do the hard work behind the scenes, but aren’t always recognized or promoted. And on a personal level, balancing professional commitments with family responsibilities remains a challenge for many women in our region. 

We need to be intentional in how we promote gender equality—not just in words, but in action. This includes creating opportunities for women to lead, building supportive networks, and recognizing the contributions of women at all levels of the organization. Mentorship is crucial, as is representation—young women need to see leaders who look like them. We also need to keep advocating for inclusive policies, flexible work environments, and a culture that values diverse perspectives. Change takes time, but it starts with each of us choosing to lead differently—and to open the door for others to lead too. 

In today's times of daily challenges and changes, I continue to seek new solutions, to involve more women to spark fresh ideas in response to ongoing military conflicts, economic crises, natural disasters, and human tragedies. 

I see the future of our world through the eyes of the young volunteers of the bulgarian red cross, leaving a part of my heart with them."

Tanya Petrova Georgieva