FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 5, 2024
Media contact: Joe Shaffner, Director of Communications, The Population Council, jshaffner@popcouncil.org
Nairobi, Kenya – The Population Council is thrilled to announce the appointment of Evalin Karijo as the Associate Director of Policy, Partnerships, and Engagement of the Council’s Girl Innovation, Research, and Learning (GIRL) Center. Karijo will grow the Center’s sphere of influence by ensuring regional and global stakeholders utilize data and evidence to develop programs, policies, and investments that improve outcomes for girls.
Karijo previously served in roles including Director of Youth and Adolescent Hub (Global) at Amref Health Africa and Project Director of Y-ACT, an Africa regional policy advocacy initiative for youth. Her work has focused on investing in the health outcomes of the rising generation.
“We are thrilled to be elevating our commitment at the GIRL Center to data-driven advocacy, policy, and programs with and for adolescent girls by bringing on Evalin in this new role,” said Dr. Karen Austrian, GIRL Center Director. “Her skills, experience, and passion will be a significant asset to the Population Council, as she continues to move the field forward.”
Launched in 2017, the global research hub has strengthened the evidence base on adolescent lives and convened experts across disciplines and topics. The GIRL Center drives evidence-based action with a suite of tools, interventions, and dashboards, including the Adolescent Data Hub, the Adolescent Atlas for Action (A3), the Evidence for Gender and Education Resource (EGER), the Adolescent Girls Community of Practice (AGCoP). With the new Associate Director focused on policy, partnerships, and engagement at regional and global levels, the GIRL Center’s data and evidence will be able to be used for decision-making and program design by policymakers, donors, and practitioners.
Through the GIRL Center Roadmap to 2030, the Center will prioritize focus areas in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to advance the GIRL Center’s vision of a gender-equitable world where girls and boys make a healthy and safe transition into adulthood and reach their full potential.
Karijo recently published The Courage to LEAD Young: A Memoir, where she writes about her professional journey in the global public health industry. She was recognized in Management Africa Magazine as the ‘Top Woman’ feature and received the #Top35Under35 Kenya award in 2020. She holds a master’s degree in international public health from the University of Liverpool and a Global Executive MBA in Health Leadership and Management from USIU-Africa. Karijo is a certified futurist from the Futurist Institute.
“I am excited to join the GIRL Center at a pivotal time in the implementation of the bold ‘Roadmap to 2030’,” said Karijo. “It is an honor to collaborate with an exceptional team, as we grow the Center’s sphere of influence at global and regional levels, to make tangible impact on the lives of adolescent girls and their communities.”
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About Population Council
The Population Council is a leading research organization dedicated to building an equitable and sustainable world that enhances the health and wellbeing of current and future generations. We generate ideas, produce evidence, and design solutions to improve the lives of people around the world. Learn more: www.popcouncil.org.