Josiane Yaguibou
Josiane Yaguibou is a vibrant supporter of the Rights and Choices for all.
She has led the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) agenda for over fifteen years, including in complex humanitarian settings in a number of strategic capacities since 2004. Namely in the Regional context as Family Planning (FP) /Reproductive Health Commodity Security (RHCS) Policy Adviser (in Zimbabwe and South Africa) providing advocacy support to the four Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and backstopping technically twenty-three East and Southern African (ESA) Governments. Under her guidance the first ever regional Technical Working Group (TWG) on Quality Assurance (QA) led by RECs was established in 2012. Its main function was to provide region-wide coordination, harmonization and standardization of condom quality assurance as well as other RH commodities. In 2004 she initiated and implemented UNFPA’s RHCS regional program in fifteen Southern African countries, from Harare, Zimbabwe. During that time, commodity stock-outs in the region were significantly averted, as she contributed to raising awareness of Governments and Policy makers around the need to allocate domestic resources to RH and commodities in particular, as a sustainable strategy to ensure consistent supplies.
Her experience ranges from expertise in Procurement Supply Chain Management including life-saving commodities and information across the Africa region while using innovative strategies for the most-left-behind, to influencing policy-level FP/RHCS agendas at the highest instances. During that time, she championed the establishment and implementation of a web-based early warning system for RH commodities in East and Southern Africa. She provided expertise together with funding to the FP2020 focus countries in the region through UNFPA’s Global Program to enhance Commodity Security (GPRHCS), also known as UNFPA Supplies today. Through her regional outreach program, at country-level, she led many capacity strengthening initiatives in the area of supply chain management. Some of the most remarkable evidence-based results in FP programs and supported by the GPRHCS, occured in the ESA region.
At country level, her quest for accelerating the Cairo promises increased significantly as her leadership bloomed in the area of policy dialogue, advocacy and resource mobilization. She successfully designed and implemented program centered on population and development, as well as sexual and reproductive health in Mali and Togo. Through alliances and partnerships with governments, UN and bilateral agencies, development partners, CSO and Private sector, she geared program towards the realization of the 2030 Agenda goals. Transforming the lives of millions of people, especially that of the 10-year-old girl, the voiceless and the furthest behind has been her inspiration. She led the most impressive resource mobilization initiatives in Mali which rallied a total of 8 new donors including private sector amounting to more than 30 million USD over three years. This level of fund raising has allowed Mali CO to secure a confident position in the next Country Program for the first two years.
Prior to UNFPA, Josiane Yaguibou led social marketing program in West Africa, as Programme Director in Burkina Faso, and thereafter as Country Representative in Guinea Bissau. Universal access for RH products and information, and Gender equity have been her true passion for two decades.
It is an honour to join the 15th General membership meeting of the Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition as Panel member and Facilitator.
