UN women (Michelle Bachelet ) visit in Dadaab refugee camps-kenya

Dear Jade frank,pulse wire member and other technical support team.
It's my deepest honor and gratitude to share with you this wonderful news.Ms Bachelet,the executive director of UN women ,Mr Gutaries and other senior officials visits Dadaab refugee camps today.through pulse wire journal i become volunteer advocate for the protection of women and children situation in humanitarian crises and conflict.
The powerful letter I wrote on 14th January 2011 ,emerged the 1st letter prioritized by UN women globally visiting refugee women in Dadaab camps. Shortly after she was elected for the position of Executive director of UN women, Ms Bachelet requested women worldwide to write recommendation for how this new UN agency can truly affect change on the ground to promote gender equality and uphold the rights and needs of women both on a local and global scale. Via lobby and advocacy I shared the anguished of women and girls in this complex camps. I was very proud when she say " the pain and suffering of women and girls in Dadaab was her main agenda after she peruse letter from this camps". I told her I was the author who wrote the letter. She embrace me and encourage me keep on the wonderful job I did.
Ms Bachelet visit the entire three camps and see how the refugee are living.new arrivals who come to came recently and resides in the outskirts of camps with no shelter,water,food and more worst risk of abuse.she meet with female camp leaders,youth and other refugee women to hear their grieve and sorrow through my interpretations .she encourage women to be strong and courages to over come all the horrible events. issues they raised were-:
Insecurity:
Women are attacked in their houses, on the roads and in the bushes. New arrivals don’t have shelters to sleep in, and end up sleeping in the open outside the camp, exposing themselves to security risks.
Discrimination:
Women are being discriminated by male counterpart in terms of wealth ownership, decision-making and education, which starts in early childhood through Boy-Child preference.
Illiteracy:
Most women are not educated and hence cannot compete equally with men for opportunities. Girl-Child education needs to be emphasized and adult education (all subjects to higher levels) needs to be established to give women intellectual empowerment, not just elementary English classes as is done now.
High divorce rates and family break-down in which children and women are adversely affected due to loss of socio-economic support from their husbands and fathers. In most cases, the children’s custody is traditionally given to the fathers who end up neglecting the children or abusing them.
Orphans and widows:
Widows and orphans face many problems socially, economically and emotionally as they carry out responsibilities as heads of families. This often leads to sexual and economic exploitation by those who take advantage of their situation.
Unemployment:
Many women lack employment due to limited job opportunities with the agencies, due to their illiteracy and their restricted movement. These have greatly hampered their economic empowerment. Some of them cannot get employed in the camps although they hold diplomas due to the fact that they do not speak English, but French. Intensive and accessible English classes would go a long way in their capacity building.
Lack of financial start-ups for Income Generating Activities:
women lack money to start up self-employment initiatives. Although several agencies try their best to assist, the funds provided are not enough to start meaningful businesses for the large female refugee population.
The Elderly:
Old women have least opportunities in the camp, for most opportunities are geared towards the young. Many old women are infirm, lack families to support them and hence languish in poverty as there is no special program that cares for the old.
Scholarships for female students:
Due to limited funds for scholarships, many students finish secondary education and go no further. Most of these are women whose chances for a productive life are cut off by lack of further education.
Marital rape: Women are being forced into sexual intimacy by their husbands who have failed to provide for their daily needs, some who have acquired Kenyan Citizenship, which may result in cancellation of their families’ resettlement process.
Medical referrals:
Some women are sick with the long illnesses which cannot be dealt with in the camp but have not been referred to better medical institutions due to lack of funds. Some of them may end up dead as they wait for referrals. More funds need to be allocated to enable people to get specialized treatment in Nairobi or abroad.
Early marriage:
Due to poverty and lack of education, many parents force their girls into early marriage as a way of getting wealth for the family. Many a times such young girls are married to rich men the age of their fathers. Those who resist are disowned, discriminated and violently dealt with by their families. This is one major cause of the girls dropping out of school.
Incentive wages:
The women employed by the agencies get very little money that does not assist them alleviate their poverty. Improvement of their wages would help them buy stationary and uniforms for their children. As for now, funds to get stationary and uniforms for the vulnerable children would go a long way in assisting them get educated.
sexual and gender base violence,Female genital mutilation ,wife inheritance and among other's.

Thanks pulse wire journal for for the wonderful networking and submitting our powerful letters to concerns persons.
kudos..................