Sania, a midwife in a governmental hospital in Islamabad, Pakistan vividly remembers the first time she met her patient Razia, a 25-year-old women expecting her second child. “Razia was terrified and instantly broke into tears as soon as she entered the examination room for her first antenatal visit,” Sania remembers. “I was taken back, as often my patients are filled with anticipation when checking in on their baby’s growth.”Sania tried to ease Razia’s fears, and then asked her why she was crying.
Through tears, she recounted the story of her first born. Belonging to a poor family, Razia lives in a joint family system where all decisions are made by the elders, including where women give birth.