Award-winning poet, actress, and public speaker Botlhale Boikanyo has achieved a major international milestone. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) East and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO) has officially named the 25-year-old creative as its new Regional International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Youth Champion.
The appointment expands Boikanyo’s platform from performance art to regional advocacy, tasking her with promoting bodily autonomy, gender equality, and youth leadership across the subcontinent.
Key Highlights of the Announcement
- UNFPA Appointment: Named Regional ICPD Youth Champion for East and Southern Africa, representing youth interests in regional policy spaces.
- A Full-Circle Moment: Reflecting on her appointment, Boikanyo shared: “I can’t help but think about the little girl who first discovered her voice through poetry. She could never have imagined that one day, that same voice would become a platform to serve, advocate and amplify the voices of young people across an entire region.”
- Core Objectives: Focuses on leveraging storytelling to champion bodily autonomy, dignity, educational opportunity, and the protection of rights for young women and girls.
- Regional Strategy: Collaborating with UNFPA ESARO to drive youth inclusion in policy decision-making processes across East and Southern African member states.
