Because I’m a woman I face the possibility of an unintended pregnancy.
Highlighting the unique challenges of displaced women, Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) remind us that 40% of pregnancies worldwide are unintended. For those who prefer numbers, that’s about 85 million unintended pregnancies per year. With such high numbers, much attention is directed toward giving women choices.
Decision-Making
When women have choices, they should also have the opportunity to enter into a decision-making process. A great many things may impact, impede, complicate or restrict the decision process. Nevertheless, finding ways to give women decision support must be a priority.
Are choices on their own enough?
Is it choice, alone, that empowers women and improves health outcomes?
How does one move through choice toward making a decision?
And is a decision with two or more possible outcomes complex?
If so, are women empowered simply by the choices they are given or is something more needed?
When Choice Overwhelms
For example, a woman who wants to prevent pregnancy is likely to pay a visit to her physician. Imagine if the physician showed her just three different types of birth control and encouraged her to pick one but failed to provide her with any information. What seemed like a good thing (pregnancy prevention options) just became overwhelming (choices without process).
The same choices presented with decision-coaching transforms the experience and elevates choice to empowered decision-making.
We might be tempted at times to think the choice is obvious and unconsciously assume there’s no need for decision-coaching. The reality couldn’t be further from the truth. Everyone is unique and so her personal decision-making pathway will be as well.
A midwife on a search and rescue ship operated by SOS Mediteranée shares about women who are often displaced and vulnerable. Listen to what Jonquil says in the video produced by Médecins Sans Frontières Australia.
Recapping what Jonquil said,
“But many women are very happy to be pregnant and they’re very proud to be pregnant and I even had labouring ladies on board. I was very privileged to be present when a Nigerian woman had her baby. And luckily she was travelling with her husband and her two other children. It was a very wonderful moment, it lifted everybody’s spirits”.
Dire Circumstances
The response of the Nigerian woman who gave birth in what most would consider dire circumstances might have surprised you. In the video she shared,
“I thank God I am so happy, I give birth in this very place.”
No Place for Assumptions
A decision-coach never assumes a decision is obvious or clear but helps bring clarity through a decision-making process. Decision Aids and Decision Coaching are indispensable tools all women should have access to. ClearLinQ Training & Coaching has developed specialized tools to support a pathway to Clarity, visit ClarityTools.org for more information.
Terri Mazik CEO/Co-founder ClearLinQ