Asma Khatun - Maternal health as priority

Simavi supports women and girls to make their own informed choices. In the Kapilvastu district (Nepal) an important reason for women not to invest in health services around their pregnancies, is a lack of and limited knowledge about the importance of proper care during pregnancy. In the Kapilvastu programme Simavi focused on motivating families to set up an emergency fund for expenditure on pregnancy related healthcare.

Shifting priorities towards safer pregnancy practices

Asma Khatun participated in one of the mothers’ groups of the Kapilvastu programme in Nepal. She explains that although the family income did not increase, her priorities shifted: ‘my daughter-in-law was pregnant and I decided to take her to the health clinic for antenatal care visits. Basic healthcare is free, but we need funds for transport. At the time of delivery, I took my daughter-in-law to the nearby health post. Because of complications she was transferred to the nearest hospital where she gave birth to a healthy girl.’