Asma: I fight for choice for the future
Asma, Country Director of MSI in Pakistan
MSI’s 9,000 dedicated professionals are on a mission to ensure reproductive choice is available worldwide. Asma, Country Director of MSI in Pakistan, has witnessed how things have improved over the years and how new ideas are helping secure reproductive choice for future generations.
I can hardly believe that I started at MSI back in 1996! I was a volunteer then. Now nearly 30 years later, I lead the entire program and I’ve seen a lot of change in my time.
With the support of people like you, we’ve grown into one of the biggest providers of sexual and reproductive healthcare in Pakistan.
We’re built from the grassroots up and our teams are made up of local people who speak the same language as our clients and share their culture. This has helped us grow and change attitudes about contraception.
Being based here helps us think about the future. In 2023, we achieved a big milestone: our 17 clinics are now self-sustaining. We are working on making our 20 pharmacies self-sufficient too, and all the profits go back into helping rural and hard to access areas. We call this a social business—blending the best of both commercial and non-profit worlds.
We’re also expanding our services to meet the needs of women at all stages of life—from menstruation to menopause.
Partnering with the government is another way we’re building sustainability. We train local healthcare providers to continue offering high-quality care. In 2023, we shifted some of our providers to government support, so they can continue their work with the help of local funding and resources.
I remember one woman we helped in a remote area. She had a disability, was struggling with depression, and had four kids to care for. She was worried about getting pregnant again, so we helped her choose an IUD. After the procedure, she said her life had changed. And I think about the fact that we’d trained her local provider who was walking distance from her home, so she wouldn’t lose access in future. That’s what sustainability is all about.
For me, choosing choice means creating a better future for women. I hold this mission very dear to my heart. If we can ensure that choice is here to stay, well, that’s the legacy I want to leave.
For teams like Asma’s, this work wouldn’t be possible without the ongoing support of people like you, who are helping create a future where every woman can access the care and choice she deserves.
