Michael Okun Oliech
Michael Okun Oliech is a communication officer at dance4life Kenya, a youth serving Non-Governmental Organization that does sexual and reproductive health and rights advocacy and behavior change communication. He has a BA in Development Studies, undergone training on media advocacy, and budget advocacy by Network for Adolescents and Youths of Africa- Kenya and Choice for Youth and Sexuality of the Netherlands. He is also a well-known blogger on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Issues, a human rights activist, LGBT rights defender and youth advocate at Network for Adolescents and Youths of Africa. His twitter handle is @mikeokunson.-
Should abortion be a crime in Kenya?
by Michael Okun Oliech - Mar 14, 2017Residents of Nyalenda in Kisumu County of Kenya are still recovering from a very traumatic incident where a 16-year-old girl was found lying in the corridor of their home half dead as a result of unsafe... -
Political goodwill is needed in the fight against gender-based violence in Kenya
by Michael Okun Oliech - Jan 19, 2017Gender-based violence is a global phenomenon. According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 3 women worldwide have experienced either intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime. In Kenya, 45 percent of women... -
Youth empowerment is key to future development of Kenya
by Michael Okun Oliech - Dec 5, 2016Young people are key agents of change because of their “link” to our future. However, in most African countries, a majority of young people are trapped in poverty, with few opportunities to learn or to earn... -
Why parents and teachers in Kenya should support comprehensive sexuality education
by Michael Okun Oliech - Dec 1, 2016Some parents and teachers consider it embarrassing to discuss sex with teenagers, which has largely contributed to the rising cases of teenage pregnancy and promiscuity in Kenya. We need to realize that talking openly about sex... -
Leaders in Kenya should invest more in 10 years old girls
by Michael Okun Oliech - Nov 29, 2016Sexual and gender-based violence, forced marriage and other social vices that undermine the health and rights of girls prevent them from realizing their full potential. As they transition into youth and adulthood, they are unable to contribute... -
Kenya: Teenage pregnancy is on the rise in Kisumu county
by Michael Okun Oliech - Nov 11, 2016OPINION – Teenage pregnancy has reached alarming levels in the Kisumu County of Kenya. According to Plan International Kenya, teenage pregnancy has gone up from 22 percent to 42 percent in recent time. Teenagers in Kisumu... -
Should Same-Sex Marriage Be Legalised In Kenya?
by Michael Okun Oliech - Oct 26, 2016OPINION – Homosexuality is still considered a taboo and unacceptable to the cultural values and morality of Kenyans. Despite various organizations working to protect and improve LGBT rights, same-sex marriage is still not permitted in Kenya.... -
Kenya: Young Women Lack Access to Safe Abortion Services
by Michael Okun Oliech - Oct 23, 2016By Michael Okun Oliech, Kenya In 2012 the Google Zeitgeist Report ranked abortion as top on the list of the subjects Kenyans search for in the ‘How To’ category. This showed that many girls and... -
Why Family Planning Needs Of Rural Women Can No Longer Be Ignored
by Michael Okun Oliech - Oct 17, 2016By Michael Okun Oliech Access to safe, accurate, high quality, affordable, acceptable and voluntary family planning is a basic human right yet thousands of young girls and women who want to avoid pregnancy in Kenya’s rural...