Siddharth Chatterjee: Perspectives-My work in the United Nations, the Red Cross and the Indian Army

According to the 2014 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey of Kenya, 4 out of every 10 Kenyan women undergo some form of violence, whether physical or sexual. This figure is staggering and should compel us to pause and reflect. This year's  16 Days of Activism  Against Gender Violence once again gives us a chance to contemplate a phenomenon that may be as insidious as a woman getting thrown down the stairs by her husband within the home to the horrors that take place in conflict zones when soldiers/militias run amok and go on a savage raping spree. The Pope said that violence against women needs to be dealt with. He said at a Mass at the University of Nairobi on Thursday, 26 Nov 2015 that, "In obedience to God's word, we are called to resist practices which hurt or demean women and threaten the life of the unborn." This year's theme - 'From Peace in the Home to Peace in the World' - focuses on a factor that has not been spoken about loudly enoug...

The First Lady of Kenya Ms Margaret Kenyatta accompanied by the Governor of Mandera County Mr Ali Roba & UNFPA's Executive Director Dr Babatunde Osotimehin at the Beyond Zero event in Mandera. 06 Nov 2015. Mandera/PC: @undpkenya Mandera in north-eastern Kenya, has often been described as ‘the worst place on earth to give birth’. Mandera’s maternal mortality ratio stands at 3,795 deaths per 100,000 live births, almost double that of wartime Sierra Leone at 2,000 deaths per 100,000 live births. But Mandera also demonstrates what can be achieved with strong political leadership and strategic partnerships.  Just under a year ago, on Dec. 2 2014, we were part of a team from the United Nations, World Bank, charities and the Office of the President of Kenya that undertook the two-hour flight to Mandera, to determine what could be done to address this critical development bottleneck. Minutes before take-off, news came through that 36 Kenyans had been brutally murdered in ...

Photo Credit; @islamicrelief For many women in Mandera County a hard to reach, insecure and arid part of North Eastern Kenya, the story of life from childhood to adulthood is one about sheer pain and struggle for survival. As little girls, they undergo female genital mutilation (FGM), a painful carving out of the external genitalia that leaves them with lifelong physical and psychological scars.  Most girls will be married off when barely into their teens, forcing them to drop out of school, their immature bodies thrust into the world of childbearing. As a result, Mandera – just a two-hour flight from the dynamic, modern East African hub of Nairobi – has maternal mortality ratio of 3,795 deaths per 100,000 live births that surpasses that of wartime Sierra Leon (2000 deaths per 100,000 live births) as well as the Kenya’s national average (448 deaths per 100,000 live births). My take: http://www.trust.org/item/20151018141351-qvx5s/

Consider this. A young girl called Amina Mohamed who is the 8th of 9 children, from a modest Muslim home in Kakamega County in Kenya was encouraged by her parents to complete her education and pursue her dreams.   Amina Mohamed is Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Trade, the first woman to Chair the World Trade Organization and is credited for enhancing  Kenya’s global image .    Through sheer grit, determination and a passion for the impossible, Amina a woman from ordinary circumstances went on to doing extraordinary things. Amina showed that women must persist in breaking down gender stereotypes and other barriers obstructing them from reaching their full potential.   My take: http://www.trust.org/item/20150924123613-zydxb/

Fostering public-private sector partnerships will help fill the gaps in capacity, resources, knowledge and innovation to reduce the greatest mortality risks faced by women today. It will also set a new standard for how companies and UN/NGOs can work together towards a shared goal. The UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin  stated tha t: “We are not looking to private sector organizations that will do corporate social responsibility; we are looking to private sector organizations that actually would incorporate these issues in their own DNA.” My take; http://www.trust.org/item/20150909152052-fmeq4/

Every year, Female Genital Mutilation scars thousands of young women and girls in Kenya physically and emotionally, for life. As President Barack Obama said during his recent visit to Kenya: “There’s no reason why young girls should suffer genital mutilation…” This tradition has “no place in the 21st century”. The practice consists of cutting away part of the external female sexual organs, often without anesthesia. Complications include loss of sensation, recurrent infections and pain, cysts, infertility, pregnancy complications and even death. It has no known health benefits. My take:  http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2015/08/29/will-kenya-end-female-genital-mutilation_c1193245

Kenya, is at the cusp of a " demographic dividend ," which could transmute Kenya's fortunes in the first half of the 21st century -- but only if the country takes the right steps towards investing in the current youthful population. My take: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/siddharth-chatterjee/with-kenyas-youth-the-future-is-here_b_8013228.html?utm_hp_ref=tw