Marking the one-year anniversary since the passing of its late Executive Director, UNFPA The Gambia launches the First Professor Babatunde Osotimehin Essay Competition and Annual Lecture in The Gambia. In honour of the life, times and work of the late Executive Director of UNFPA (2011 - 2017) - Professor Babatunde Osotimehin, young people of The Gambia, are invited to submit essay entries on the theme - “Comprehensive Sexuality Education: A Case of National Investment”.
The competition, seeks to enrich conversations and research, on the continual quest for brilliant solutions, as a means to drive the much desired demographic dividends. The young people with the three best entries, will be awarded during the lecture to be held in The Gambia, during the International Youth Day commemoration, in August 2018.
Essay Topic: “Comprehensive Sexuality Education: A Case of National Investment”.
Benefits:
Prizes will be awarded to the three individuals with the most outstanding essays:
- 1st Prize: Sponsorship to attend the International Conference on Family Planning in Kigali, Rwanda, in November 2018
- 2nd Prize: A laptop computer
- 3rd Prize: a smartphone
Guidelines for Essay Entries:
- Entries should be between 2500 to 3000 words (references excluded);
- Essays must be written and typed in English using Arial font type, size 12 with single line spacing;
- All resource materials used should be referenced;
- Participation is open only to young people (ages 15 to 35) that are resident in The Gambia;
- Only one entry is permitted per person;
- All entries must be original;
- All entries must be submitted on or before 15th July, 2018 and must contain the name, address, profession and age of entrant.
How to Make Submissions:
Completed entries should be submitted in a Microsoft Word format to: submissions.gambia@unfpa.org and the subject of the email must clearly read “Essay Submission_Name of Applicant_Date".
About Professor Babatunde Osotimehin (1949 - 2017)
Professor Babatunde Osotimehin (February 6, 1949 – June 4, 2017) was a Nigerian physician, who served as the head of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) and later as Minister of Health in Nigeria. In 2011, he became the Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), until his death in 2017. During his time at UNFPA, Osotimehin pursued three goals: to end preventable maternal deaths, to end the unmet needfor family planning and to eliminate gender-based violence against women and girls.
He was a champion for youth and women issues. Despite his self-effacing mien, Professor Osotimehin was resilient in seeking sustainable solutions to reproductive health issues facing young people and women. He was keen on adopting local solutions to address global challenges like access to family planning, unintended pregnancies, STIs, Maternal Mortality, etc., without deflecting attention from other possible solution sources. He provided a strong voice on issues of Child Marriage and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
Professor Babatunde Osotimehin, doctor, public health administrator and champion for humanity, born 6th February 1949, passed away on the 4th of June 2017.
His legacy lives on.
For more information, contact:
Haddy Jonga
Programme Analyst, Communication
UNFPA The Gambia
Tel: +220 3303073
Email: jonga@unfpa.org
