When President Barack Obama made his first visit to Kenya as US President last year, one of the poignant messages he left was an exhortation for communities to shun cultures that degrade women and girls.
“Imagine if you have a team and don’t let half of the team play. That makes no sense,” he said, referring to the denial of opportunities for women to fully participate in development.
The president’s message could not have been more pertinent, coming as it did when the country, like most of Africa, is thinking how to reap a ‘demographic dividend’ – or boost in economic productivity – from its declining fertility rate and growing youthful population.
