[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
In a village in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, 27-year-old Mama Odiana Nuban was surprised to learn she was pregnant again just five months after giving birth to her first child. The pregnancy was unplanned because she had to wait for her husband’s approval to use contraception. By the time the decision was finally made, it was too late. <\/p>\n
Mama Odiana’s story is not unique. In many parts of eastern Indonesia, strong patriarchal norms require women to seek permission from their husbands, and sometimes even their in-laws, before accessing reproductive health services. This pattern was also identified in IPAS Indonesia’s initial assessment conducted in 2023. <\/p>\n
This cultural dynamic significantly contributes to the high rate of unmet need for family planning in Indonesia. According to data from the National Population and Family Planning Board (BKKBN), the unmet need<\/em> for family planning in 2023 reached 11.5%. Meanwhile, in East Nusa Tenggara Province, the figure reached 25.3%. <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_video src=”https:\/\/youtu.be\/q8vJQm2GILo” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_video][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \u201cI wanted to use contraception,\u201d Mama Odiana said, \u201cbut I was waiting for my husband’s decision. I thought I could start when my baby was six months old. But I was already pregnant again when he was only five months old.\u201d <\/p>\n To address this challenge, the IPAS Indonesia Foundation launched the TAKENUSA Project (Joint Commitment for Women of Nusa Tenggara) in 2023. This initiative focuses on expanding access to reproductive health services, such as family planning, in rural areas across three districts in East Nusa Tenggara Province. <\/p>\n Through a series of community dialogues led by trained community health workers, TAKENUSA facilitates groups of men to learn about family planning, ask questions, and reflect on their role in supporting their partners’ health and choices. Since its launch, the project has facilitated discussions in 14 villages and reached over 1,375 men. These sessions involve community leaders, religious figures, and husbands. <\/p>\n Yane Beis, a health worker involved in the project, explained, \u201cInitially, many men refused. They said we shouldn’t interfere in their household affairs. But we kept talking to them, reminding them that it is women who carry the pregnancy, who experience the pain of childbirth. Eventually, they listened. Many began to support their wives in using contraception.\u201d <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/ipasindonesiad.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Male-community-health-workers-dialoge-December-2024-1024×768-1.jpg” title_text=”Male-community-health-workers-dialogue-December-2024-1024×768″ _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n Health workers discussing contraception. Photo by CIS Timor Foundation. <\/em><\/p>\n One of these men was Papa Noh Boimau, Mama Odiana’s husband. After attending a community session, he learned about various contraception options and changed his perspective. Papa Noh heard about family planning at the Posyandu. After talking with his wife and learning more about family planning, Papa Noh decided to support his wife in using contraception to prevent unplanned pregnancies. <\/p>\n After attending the community session, Papa Noh reflected on the importance of shared responsibility in building a healthy family. The session helped him understand that reproductive health is not just about medication, but also about listening, mutual respect, and making joint decisions. <\/p>\n The project also collaborates with midwives to provide high-quality family planning services. IPAS Indonesia has trained 90 midwives from December 2023 to May 2024. \u201cWe were trained on the fundamentals of counseling, such as how to guide women until they can make their own decisions. Once they decide, then we provide the services,\u201d said midwife Tecla. <\/p>\n Due to strong patriarchal culture, she also involves husbands in counseling. This approach ensures that both partners receive accurate information and can make joint decisions. \u201cIn our culture, men are often the decision-makers,\u201d Tecla explained. \u201cThat’s why it’s important to involve them in counseling, so women don’t have to wait for permission to protect their health.\u201d <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In a village in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, 27-year-old Mama Odiana Nuban was surprised to learn she was pregnant again just five months after giving birth to her first child. The pregnancy was unplanned because she had to wait for her husband’s approval to use contraception. By the time the decision was finally made, it was too late. Mama Odiana’s story is not unique. In many parts of eastern Indonesia, strong patriarchal norms require women to seek permission from their husbands, and sometimes even their in-laws, before accessing reproductive health services. This pattern was also identified in IPAS Indonesia’s initial assessment conducted in 2023. This cultural dynamic significantly contributes to the high rate of unmet need for family planning in Indonesia. According to data from the National Population and Family Planning Board (BKKBN), the unmet need for family planning in 2023 reached 11.5%. Meanwhile, in East Nusa Tenggara Province, the figure reached 25.3%. \u201cI wanted to use contraception,\u201d Mama Odiana said, \u201cbut I was waiting for my husband’s decision. I thought I could start when my baby was six months old. But I was already pregnant again when he was only five months old.\u201d To address this challenge, the IPAS […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":3470,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[155],"tags":[],"topic":[],"class_list":["post-3469","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipasindonesia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3469","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipasindonesia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipasindonesia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipasindonesia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipasindonesia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3469"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ipasindonesia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3469\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipasindonesia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3470"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipasindonesia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3469"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipasindonesia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3469"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipasindonesia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3469"},{"taxonomy":"topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipasindonesia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topic?post=3469"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}