Esnart has four children and has lost four babies in childbirth. She came for family planning services and decided to have a sterilisation because she does not want to get pregnant again.

On average women in Malawi have six children. Yet families nationally say their preferred family size would be four children.

Background

On 11 July 2012 the UK Government and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will host a groundbreaking summit to cut in half the current number of women and girls in the world’s poorest countries without access to contraception, but who wish to avoid pregnancy or space their children.

Every woman and girl deserves the opportunity to to determine her own future. Contraceptives give the world's poorest women the power to decide if and when to have another child.

Find out more at www.dfid.gov.uk/changinglives

To follow the London Summit on Family Planning visit www.dfid.gov.uk/fpsummit

Picture: Lindsay Mgbor/Department for International Development

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