MORE Kenyan women are choosing to remain child-free and undergo sterilisation, challenging long-held societal norms about womanhood and motherhood. According to the BBC, 28-year-old Kenyan Nelly Naisula Sironka underwent tubal ligation last October, a procedure that permanently prevents pregnancy by blocking the fallopian tubes. ‘I feel liberated,’ Sironka told the BBC, emphasising that her future is now entirely her own.
Changing trends in sterilisation
Data from Kenya’s Ministry of Health indicates that between 2020 and 2023, about 16,000 women underwent tubal ligation. While this procedure has traditionally been sought by women with multiple children, Nairobi-based gynaecologist Dr. Nelly Bosire told the BBC that an increasing number of women with fewer or no children are now opting for permanent contraception.
‘Doctors don’t typically encourage tubal ligation because the success rate of reversal is very poor,’ Dr. Bosire explained.
A push for autonomy
Despite coming from a large family, Sironka said she never felt pressure to have children. She credits her father for encouraging her to focus on her education and for fostering her love of reading. Books by feminist authors like Toni Morrison and Angela Davis helped Sironka envision a life that did not include motherhood.
Her decision to undergo sterilisation was influenced by a desire for autonomy and concerns about women’s rights being eroded around the world. ‘I wanted to do this while I still could,’ she explained.
Breaking taboos
Sironka is not alone in her choice. Kenyan YouTuber and podcaster Muthoni Gitau shared her experience with tubal ligation in a YouTube video, where she detailed her journey toward a child-free life. Gitau said that even at age 10, she knew she did not want children. After a negative experience with birth control pills, she sought a more permanent solution.
When she first approached a doctor about the procedure, she was met with resistance. ‘He asked me, “What if you meet someone who wants kids?” It was heartbreaking,’ she told the BBC. A decade later, Gitau finally underwent the procedure through a family planning NGO.
Addressing healthcare bias
The resistance faced by women seeking sterilisation highlights ongoing challenges in Kenya’s healthcare system. Dr. Bosire pointed out that many medics in Kenya need to shift their mindset to fully respect patient autonomy and women’s rights to make decisions about their own health.
‘This ties in with our culture, where people believe it isn’t normal for women to want a tubal ligation,’ she said.
A generational shift
Gitau noted that societal expectations are changing, and she is grateful to be part of a generation where choice is valued. ‘Women can contribute to the world in so many other ways,’ she said. ‘It doesn’t have to be through raising a whole human being.’
Online responses to her decision have been largely supportive, further reinforcing that attitudes toward motherhood and womanhood are evolving.
The role of feminism
Sironka, now the chief of operations at Feminists in Kenya, believes that more women are embracing the right to choose their own paths. ‘There’s a growing understanding that a woman’s worth isn’t tied to her ability to bear children,’ she said.
Both Sironka and Gitau are examples of how Kenyan women are pushing back against societal expectations and choosing to live life on their own terms. Their stories highlight the importance of empowering women to make their own reproductive choices, a message that resonates beyond Kenya’s borders.
A growing movement
The decision to remain child-free is part of a broader movement toward autonomy and self-determination. While the path may be unconventional, more Kenyan women are standing up for their right to choose a life that aligns with their personal values and aspirations.
In a world where women’s rights remain under threat, stories like Sironka’s and Gitau’s remind us of the power of choice—and the importance of advocating for policies that support women’s autonomy and healthcare rights.
The rise in women choosing sterilisation reflects a growing desire for control over one’s own body and future. As conversations around women’s reproductive choices continue to evolve, more women across Kenya are challenging traditional norms and reshaping what it means to be a woman in the modern world.
By bringing attention to these choices, the BBC highlights a critical conversation about autonomy, empowerment, and the right to live life on one’s own terms.
