Water lilies in action for safe births
Fatema Begum knows her own four walls well. This is where her life takes place. She looks after the two children and the household, while her husband earns the family's money by working in the fields. This is the case in many rural regions of Bangladesh. Fatema rarely leaves the house, and when she does, she is only accompanied. She has hardly any contact with other women in her area.
"I am very grateful to be able to work as a Community Health Volunteer. The community respects me and is happy to have my support."
When Fatema became aware of committed women's groups in her region in 2021, she decided to join one and became a member of the Shapla Mohila group. The group has 20 members who meet weekly to discuss various topics such as women's rights, training and networking. Fatema is also given a very special role: she becomes a community health volunteer, the voluntary health worker in her group. For her new tasks, she takes part in a three-day training course.
In her role as a community health volunteer, Fatema provides important health services for women. She educates expectant mothers about the importance of prenatal and postnatal check-ups and how to plan a safe birth. To ensure the safety of mother and child, Fatema also advocates for institutional births, i.e. births in a hospital, birthing facility, or under the care of professionals such as doctors or midwives. She has already accompanied 35 pregnant women before, during, and after birth. Fatema also supports the women and their children after the birth. She has already cared for over 50 children under the age of 2, assessing their weight gain and development.
"My biggest motivation is the support of my family, who always back me up."
In addition to pregnancy counseling, Fatema is also committed to combating violence against women and child marriages. Two major and largely untouched issues: discrimination and domestic violence are widespread and often go undetected. Girls are seen as a financial and social burden and are often married as children. In Bangladesh, more than half of girls are not yet 18 years old when they get married. Fatema draws attention to these grievances.
Fatema's life has changed fundamentally in recent years: from a life of isolation within her own walls, she has become an important support for other women in the region. The women's group that affectionately calls itself Shapla Mohila was the catalyst for this change. In English, this means water lilies.
More about the women's empowerment project in Bangladesh.
