In rural Myanmar, family planning is often frowned upon by conservative community members and religious leaders. The IRC trains hundreds of women in Kayin state to become advocates for birth-spacing and safe pregnancies.
Hpa-An, Kayin State, Myanmar—Three years ago Ahnaw* collapsed on the floor of her house in a small rural village in eastern Myanmar. When she came to, she realized she was bleeding heavily from what turned out to be a miscarriage.
“I didn’t even know I was pregnant,” the 36-year-old recalls, seated in front of a Buddhist shrine in her living room. “They told me when I got to the hospital. They said I was lucky to survive.”