Director Open Society Programme, Hivos, Netherlands
Will Janssen works at the Hivos Global Office as director of the Open Society Programme, including four themes: Transparency & Accountability, Freedom of Expression, Women’s Empowerment and Sexual Rights and Diversity. Before she was director at the regional office East Africa (based in Nairobi) between 2007-2015, including Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya, implementing programmes in the Open and Green Society domain. From 2000 until 2007 she was Programme Manager at the DOEN foundation (related to the Dutch Postcode Lottery) for Sustainable Development worldwide, that promotes sustainable, social and cultural pioneers, believing in a green, socially inclusive and creative society; it supports innovators and brings them into contact with each other. DOEN operates by providing subsidies, loans and guarantees, small, medium or even large with a flexible approach.  Before that she was programme manager at Mama Cash for the worldwide programme. Mama Cash was the first international women’s fund in the world. They fund and support women’s rights initiatives around the globe that challenge the root causes of injustice. Will has a master in economic history (University of Nijmegen) and Social-Cultural Science (Free University Amsterdam.