Moni is 25 years old and lives in Northern Bangladesh.
Without access to knowledge about contraception and family planning, Moni gave birth to three daughters in four years at a young age.
After marrying Abhi when she was 16, she had her first child at 18, a girl. Her husband wanted a son and pressured her to have more children. Two more girls followed. Early marriage is illegal in Bangladesh, and Moni suffered health consequences from having three children at a young age in quick succession.
Abhi was unhappy they had three daughters and no sons, and wanted Moni to have a fourth child, even though having three children was already putting pressure on their financial situation, and had affected Moni’s health.
Recently, Moni took one of her daughters to a health clinic. There was a meeting being held at the clinic about long term family planning methods, run with the support of the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade RESPOND program.
Moni asked the person running the meeting to speak to her husband about long term family planning options. They did, and discussed with Abhi the risks of pregnancies in quick succession and the financial challenges of raising many children. After the discussion they agreed together that Moni could go through with tubal ligation.
This has been life changing for Moni. The obstacles to her choosing how and when she wanted to have children have been removed. She became pregnant three times because of her husband’s wishes, not her own. Now, life is in her control, with the support of the RESPOND program.
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