World Bank Africa Region 2020 #Blog4Dev Essay Contest for Africans (chance to intern at a World Bank Africa country office/Attend IMF Spring Meetings 2020 in Washington DC)

#Blog4Dev Competition: What will it take to end child marriage in your country?

Launched in 2014 by the World Bank Kenya office, the Blog4Dev competition is an annual writing contest, inviting young people to weigh in on a topic critical to the country’s economic development. The competition is a way to engage Africa’s youth and provide a platform to share their views—and solutions—about development topics that are important to them. In 2018, it became a regional competition.

Are you a young African between the ages of 18 and 28 and currently residing in Africa? Here is another chance for you to have your say on building your nation and continent! As you know, Africa’s exponential youth growth comes with immense opportunities for you to inject fresh ideas, vibrancy and optimism into addressing many of Africa’s challenges.

Empowering women to prevent early marriage and pregnancy for adolescent girls is one of the World Bank Africa Human Capital Plan objectives. Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest prevalence of child marriage in the world. These young girls are having their childhoods cut short, but this goes far beyond a moral issue. This situation has a negative impact on development.

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So, we want to hear from you! Share your views by answering the following question: “What will it take to end child marriage in your country?”

Be bold, be creative, be practical – chart an inclusive and impactful path to progress for your continent.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the #Blog4Dev competition, you must:

Be a citizen of any of the 48 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa
Be between the ages of 18 and 28 years of age on November 30, 2019.
Currently reside in a Sub-Saharan African country

Prizes

Winning authors are eligible for several prizes, including being invited to attend a dedicated program during the World Bank – IMF Spring Meetings 2020 in Washington DC, opportunities to represent Africa’s youth at high-level events, a chance to intern at a World Bank Africa country office, or an opportunity to have your blog published on the World Bank Africa blog Youth Transforming Africa.

Selection

A panel of expert judges from inside and outside the World Bank Group will review all entries and select the top five from each country. The selected authors will be interviewed, and a top winner will be chosen from each country.

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The winning submissions will be selected based on the following criteria:

Originality
Clarity in Writing and Presentation
Practicality and Relevance
Potential Impact on Development

SUBMISSION

Using the link below, submit your original blog entry detailing your ideas about what it will take to end Early Child Marriage in your country, written in English, French or Portuguese by November 30, 2019.

Submissions through email or post will not be accepted.