The Kenyans saying no to motherhood and yes to sterilisation
As long as Nelly Naisula Sironka can remember that she never wanted a child – and there was an irreversible decision, the 28-year-old Kenyan made sure she would never get pregnant.
Last October, she took a definite step to perform a sterilization procedure called fallopian tube ligation – permanently closing the mother’s door.
“I feel liberated.” Organizational development experts told the BBC, adding that it ensured that her future is now entirely her own.
The surgery prevents pregnancy by blocking a woman’s fallopian tube, sometimes called “Tie your tube.”
According to Kenya’s Ministry of Health, between 2020 and 2023, about 16,000 women in East African countries underwent tube ligation.
However, it is not clear that the women had no children at the time of surgery.
However, Dr. Nelly Bosire said women seeking sterilization in Kenya are changing.
The Nairobi-based gynecologist told the BBC that “traditionally, the most common candidate for fallopian tube ligation is women who already have multiple children.”
“But now, we see more women with children choosing the program.”
It is recommended to sterilize only for women who are sure that they do not want to have children in the future, because reversal is difficult.
“Doctors usually don’t encourage fallopian tube ligation because the success rate of reversal is poor,” Dr. Bossell said.
Despite coming from a large family, Ms. Sironka said she never felt the pressure to start herself – although Kenya’s social norms do expect women to have children.
When he encouraged her to focus on education, she praised her father’s position on her own—and loved reading.
The books by feminist writers such as American feminist writers Toni Morrison, Angela Davis and Bell Hooks are a revelation.
Ms Sironka said: “I interacted with the story of a woman’s life without children.
“It made me realize that life like this is possible.”
She has been thinking about sterilization for years, but after saving money on the surgery and finding a stable job, she decided to move on, which allowed her to take a leave.
She spent her 30,000 Kenyan shillings (£190; $230) at a private hospital.
Ms Sironka believes that women’s rights are eroding around the world – especially when American women lose their abortion rights in 2022, which also affected her decision.
This has made her worry that the woman’s right to control her body might erode elsewhere – and that she should perform the surgery if she still can.
“In Africa and the United States, the rise of fascism and authoritarian regimes, Kenya is a perfect example,” she said.
It wasn’t surprising to her family when she told her family, because she had always had a very voice in her desire for a childless life.
As for dating and relationships?
She shrugged and said, “I’m still thinking.”
Ms. Sironka is not alone in choosing a childless life, challenging women’s traditional expectations.
On social media, some people talk openly about their choice not to have children and sterilize them.
These include interior designers and podcast Muthoni Gitau.
Last March, she shared her tube ligation journey in a 30-minute YouTube video and explained her decision to develop the procedure.
“I think the first time I expressed it… (that’s) I don’t want to have a baby, I’m about 10 years old,” she told the BBC.
Her mother was pregnant at the time and a random question about her future suddenly popped up in the conversation.
“I saw a possible partner. I saw travel. I’ve never seen a child,” she said.
Like Ms. Sironka, Ms. Gitau’s decision was driven by her firm belief in living a life on her own terms.
After trying the birth control pill, she said it made her sick and she sought a more permanent solution.
When she first went to the doctor with a fallopian tube ligation at the age of 23, she encountered resistance.
She was given a preaching about how children bless God.
She said: “He asked me, ‘What if I meet someone who wants a child?’
She said the doctor seemed to have more thought about the “fictional person” than the actual patient sitting in front of him.
Ms. Gito said the firing was “heartbreaking.” It was another ten years since her wish was finally approved.
Dr. Bosire noted that a major challenge in Kenya is to attract doctors to change their mindsets and truly appreciate the right of patients to make decisions about their health.
“It’s tied to our culture where people think it’s not normal for women to want ligation,” she said.
Another Kenyan gynecologist, Dr. Kireki Omanwa, admitted that the issue was a debate between colleagues and the medical community.
“It’s still inconclusive,” he told the BBC.
However, Ms. Gito was not at risk and contacted another doctor last year – this time at a non-governmental organization that provides family planning services.
She held the reasons for supporting her decision and breathed a sigh of relief, finding no push: “The doctor is friendly.”
Currently, she lives happily for her decisions and believes she can control her life.
The 34-year-old was also pleased with her video’s reaction – and lifted the situation without a significant rebound.
She said most people online were cheering for her, which increased her confidence.
“Women can contribute to the world in many other ways,” she said.
“It doesn’t have to be by nurturing a whole person. I’m glad to live in that generation where choices are things.”
