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I was born in Chuuk
in the
Federated States of Micronesia. I
was raised by my mother who was the Chief Nurse at our State Hospital, and I grew up wanting to be a nurse, too, and to help others. My family was
dominated by strong, hard working women who taught me cultural values and influenced my views of life, the world I live in and the importance of
helping others.
The biggest challenge for women in Chuuk is access to education. Unfortunately, in many Chuukese households, girls are
overlooked by parents when it comes to education decisions, meaning that they may do whatever it takes to educate their sons, often at the expense
of their daughters’ education.
In some
cases, it is because they may fear losing their daughter to the outside world or feel that women do not need education in order
to run a household. Some feel that education will only contribute to the decline of Chuukese culture and traditions.
My mother was one of the original founders of the Chuuk Women’s Council . Back in 1984, a few civic-
minded women realized that in order to be more successful and bring about significant change, individual community groups needed to join forces,
communicate better and share resources. From their efforts, the Chuuk Women’s Advisory Council was born, which later became the Chuuk
Women’s Council. A primary focus for us is to promote education for all of our children regardless of gender.
Many of the classes and trainings we provide are mostly for the advancement of women who have not completed school. It has been inspiring to see the courage that they now demonstrate in taking so many small steps toward their dreams.
Our education and prevention
work
on chronic,
non-communicable diseases has resulted in significant life changes in the behavior of the women, and these
influences are very noticeable in families and communities. We’ve been successful in getting laws passed that protect women and girls from
domestic violence and other abuse.
One of my favorite phrases that we have here is “Keep It Local,” meaning that we are run by and for the community, and everything – from the design of our programs, to the staff who volunteer with us, to the products we use – reflects and maintains Chuukese culture and values. We are grandmothers, mothers and sisters who care and are very committed to a healthier and safer Chuuk for everyone.
Kiki Stinnett is President of the Chuuk Women’s Council. In 2011, the CWC partnered with the Office of Minority Health Resource Center’s Pacific Project to provide training to community based health organizations and launch a nationwide HIV/STD/TB and diabetes education and awareness campaign. That same year, Kiki was honored by the U.S. State Department’s 100 Women Initiative, an international exchange program for women leaders, celebrated by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Vital Stats |
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Federated States of Mirconesia (medium HDI) |
United States (very high HDI) |
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Human Development Index |
0.640 |
Human Development Index |
0.915 |
Life expectancy at birth |
69.1 years |
Life expectancy at birth |
79.1 years |
Expected schooling |
11.7 years |
Expected schooling |
16.5 years |
Mean schooling |
9.7 years |
Mean schooling |
12.9 years |
Gross National Income (GNI) |
$3,432.1 |
Gross National Income (GNI) |
$52,946.5 |
Sources: |
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Office of Minority Health Phone: 240-453-2882 Office of Minority Health Resource Center Toll Free: 1-800-444-6472 / Fax: 301-251-2160 Email: info@minorityhealth.hhs.gov |
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