IPPF’s regulations new established a 15-member, skills-based Board of Trustees to govern IPPF as per the strategic direction set by the General Assembly.
During its meeting from May 15-16, the Governing Council voted to confirm the slate of candidates proposed by the Transition Committee for the 15 members of IPPF’s new Board of Trustees. Following the GA’s recommendations on reform, nine Trustees come from IPPF, and six are external Trustees. Eleven of them are women, and one-third are young people under 25 years of age.
Kate Gilmore (Interim Chair)
An external candidate, Kate Gilmore has been a Fellow at the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy, Harvard Kennedy School since February 2020. She is researching human rights concerns including: The political economy of sexual and reproductive health and rights; Organizational leadership in a world of “J curve” change; Acceleration of youth participation in public decision making; and Civil service without fear or favour. Kate was United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2014 to 2019 and was Assistant Secretary General and Deputy Executive Director, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) from 2012 to 2014. Before this, she was Executive Deputy Secretary General at Amnesty International from 2000 to 2009. Amongst the skills required for the Board of Trustees, Kate can point to senior executive experience; safeguarding; and program delivery experience. She is from Oceania, currently located in France (and the USA while at Harvard). She also has lived in Australia for 40 years; the UK for 14 years; the USA for 4 years; and Switzerland for 4 years.
Isaac Adewole
An external candidate, Professor Isaac Adewole has been a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria since 1997. He was the former Nigerian minister of health from 2015 to 2019 and the 11th Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan from 2010 to 2015 as well as the past President of African Organization for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC). His research interest is in the area of human papillomavirus, HIV, and gynaecologic oncology. Amongst the skills required for the Board of Trustees, Professor Adewole can point to knowledge of governance at the international or national level; experience of advocacy and working with government; and leadership in SRHR. Professor Adewole is from West Africa, currently located in Nigeria. He also lived in the UK for 18 months and spent 6 weeks in the USA in the past.
Abhina Aher
An external candidate, Abhina Aher has been Associate Director for Gender, Sexuality and Rights at the India HIV/AIDS Alliance since 2010. She has been a global activist on LGBTI issues for the last 24 years and has worked with organisations such as The Humsafar Trust (Mumbai), Family Health International (FHI), and the Johns Hopkins University Centre for Communication Programme (CCP). Amongst the skills required for the Board of Trustees, Abhina can point to knowledge of safeguarding; programme delivery experience; and peer-to-peer service delivery. She is from South Asia, currently located in India.
Rosa Ayong Tchonang
An MA volunteer, Rosa Ayong Tchonang has been an Advisor and Representative of the Youth Action Movement at the National Executive Bureau of the Cameroon National Association for Family Welfare since 2013. Rosa completed her Degree in Administration and Business Management at the University of Yaoundé in 2020. Amongst the skills required for the Board of Trustees, Rosa can point to knowledge of youth networking and youth action; experience of advocacy and working with government; and peer-to-peer service delivery. She is from Central Africa, currently located in Cameroon. Rosa is under 25 years old at this time.
Ulukbek Batyrgaliev
An MA volunteer, Ulukbek Batyrgaliev has been National Trainer since 2015, and Chair of National Youth Committee at the Reproductive Health Alliance of Kyrgyzstan since 2016. Currently, he is a student in the Psychology Department of the American University of Central Asia, where he is also Coordinator of the AUCA Debate Club. Since 2019, he has been a Y SAFE Steering Committee Member and a Youth Focal Point of Kyrgyz Republic at the global platform for Family Planning 2020. Amongst the skills required for the Board of Trustees, Ulukbek can point to knowledge of youth networking and youth action; leadership in SRHR; and peer-to-peer service delivery. He is from Central Asia, currently located in Kyrgyzstan. Ulukbek is under 25 years old at this time.
Bience Gawanas
An external candidate, Bience Gawanas has been the UN Under Secretary General and Special Adviser on Africa since 2018. She is a Barrister-at-Law and an Advocate of the Namibian High Court. Bience was previously a Special Adviser to Minister of Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare from 2015 to 2018 and before this was a Special Adviser to the Minister of Health and Social Services from 2013 to 2015. She has also been a Commissioner for Social Affairs for the African Union and an Ombudswoman for the Republic of Namibia. Amongst the skills required for the Board of Trustees, Bience can point to legal expertise; experience of advocacy and working with government; and leadership in SRHR. She is from Southern Africa, currently located in the USA. She also has lived in Zambia for 2 years, Angola for 2 years, the UK for 6 years, Ethiopia for 9 years, the USA for 2 years, Cuba for 2 years, as well as South Africa on and off for over 5 years.
Surakshya Giri
An MA volunteer, Surakshya Giri was a Youth Champion at the Family Planning Association of Nepal from 2018 to 2019 and has been an active youth member for the last five years. She is a Teacher and is currently studying for a Masters of Counseling Psychology at the University Tribhuvan University. Amongst the skills required for the Board of Trustees, Surakshya can point to knowledge of youth networking and youth action; leadership in SRHR; and peer-to-peer service delivery. She is from South Asia, currently located in Nepal. Surakshya is under 25 years old at this time.
Donya Nasser
An MA volunteer, Donya Nasser has been Senior Manager, Public Engagement and Policy at the Center for the Developing Adolescent since 2019. She has been a Global Trustee on the Governing Council for IPPF since 2017; a Board Director for IPPF Western Hemisphere Region since 2017; and a Board Director for the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) and Action Fund (PPAF) since 2015. She has also been the Director of Strategic Partnerships on the Youth Working Group of the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO since 2017 and a Member of the Youth Power Panel at Restless Development in Washington DC since 2019. Amongst the skills required for the Board of Trustees, Donya can point to knowledge of SRHR leadership; experience of advocacy and working with government; and fundraising and resource mobilization. She is from North America, currently located in the USA. She also has lived in the UK for a year and Iran for just under a year. Donya is a young adult under the age of 30.
Jacob Mutambo
An MA volunteer, Jacob Mutambo has been a National Youth Representative at the Planned Parenthood Association of Zambia since 2017 and a Country Coordinator for the Global Youth Leaders Network since 2020. In the past, he has also volunteered with VSO. Jacob has a Diploma in Project Management from the University of Zambia. Amongst the skills required for the Board of Trustees, Jacob can point to knowledge of youth networking and youth action; leadership in SRHR; and program delivery experience. He is from Southern Africa, currently located in Zambia. Jacob is under 25 years old.
Aurélia Nguyen
An external candidate, Aurélia Nguyen has been Managing Director, Vaccines and Sustainability at Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance since 2011. She was also Director of Policy and Market Shaping from 2011 to 2018. Previously, she worked as Director, Global Vaccine Policy (Biologicals) at GlaxoSmithKline from 2006 to 2011. She is currently on the Steering Committee for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative; Chair of the Task Force for COVID-19 Vaccine Development at the World Bank; and is Chair of the Procurement and Stockpiling Working Group at the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. Amongst the skills required for the Board of Trustees, Aurélia can point to knowledge of risk management; marketing; and fundraising and resource mobilization. She is from Europe, currently located in Switzerland. She also has lived in Europe and the USA, with 20 years cumulative experience of managing programmes in developing countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Dr Josephine Obel
An MA volunteer, Dr Josephine Obel has been a Senior Consultant and Unit Lead in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Hvidovre University Hospital since 2015. In 2018, she spent three months in Yemen at Humanitarian SHRH Program Lead with Médecins Sans Frontièrs. She became Chair of the Danish Family Planning Association in 2018 and joined the board of the MA in 2013. Amongst the skills required for the Board of Trustees, Dr Obel can point experience of advocacy and working with government; leadership in SRHR; and program delivery experience. She is from Western Europe, currently located in Denmark. She has also lived in France for 6 months; Nepal for 6 months; Bolivia for 6 months; the USA for one year; West Bank and Gaza for 6 months; Tanzania for 3 years.
Elizabeth Schaffer
An external candidate, Elizabeth Schaffer has been the interim Chief Financial Officer at Amnesty International USA since 2019. Since 1993 she has worked as a Consultant, Coach and Trainer. Previously, she was Chief Financial Officer at TNTP from 2017 to 2019 and before that she was Chief Operating Officer at the Global Fund for Women from 2012 to 2017. She has been a Board Member of the Criterion Institute from 2016 to 2018 and a Steering Committee Member for Women Effect in the same period. She was also on the Board of Equal Rights Advocates between 2002 and 2009 and again from 2013 to 2017. Amongst the skills required for the Board of Trustees, Elizabeth can point to knowledge of financial control and oversight; senior executive experience; and risk management. She is from North America, currently located in the USA. She also has studied abroad in France and Spain.
Kobe Smith
An MA volunteer, Kobe Smith has been Human Rights Coordinator at the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination and Project Assistant at the Guyana National Youth Council since 2020. He is also currently a Candidate for a Bachelor of Laws Degree at the University of Guyana. He has been a Volunteer with the Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association (GRPA) since 2013 and has been President of the GRPA Youth Advocacy Movement since 2019. Kobe has also been an Advocacy Youth Catalyst and Youth Representative for IPPF, Western Hemisphere region since 2017 and has been a Member of the Governing Council of IPPF since 2019. Amongst the skills required for the Board of Trustees, Kobe can point to knowledge of youth networking and youth action; legal expertise; and peer-to-peer service delivery. He is from the Caribbean, currently located in Guyana. Kobe is under 25 years old at this time.