Empowering Youth Health
Meet Dr. Chiaky Otuteye
There’s a lot wrong with the world, especially the way the world treats women and girls, especially the way the world treats the health of women and girls.
There are people who know what’s wrong, and there are people who have the power to change the systems that fight against us. Sometimes, they’re the same person. Most of the time, they’re not.
That’s where I come in.
I started learning how to break things down when I was very young. First, with “big” words, then huge paragraphs, then scientific facts, then health conditions, and now, policy. Because the people who face these challenges need to understand why they have them and what the systems do to them.
But I also had to learn how to assemble things. To gather information from the root and channel it up into the xylem. Because the people in power need to understand what the people who do not have much need.
I think most of our problems begin as communication problems. That’s why I’ve learned to bridge that gap. That’s why I educate the public, converse with the underserved, and hold systems accountable. Because most of the time, we have part of the solution to our problems, albeit from different perspectives. When we understand each other, we create systems that work for everyone. This is why I do what I do. My goal is simple: I want women, girls, and young people to have access to information about their health, especially their mental and reproductive health. And I want them to influence the systems that affect them. And so I tell stories. I tell them to those who know they have the power to make a change. And I tell them to those who do not know they have the power to make a change. For we all have power. Only, we do not always know that we have it. And how would we know if no one tells us? How will we know if no one listens to us? How will we know if no one works with us?
Stay Connected