Not all heroes wear a cape. Sometimes they carry a bulging backpack across the Himalayan mountains.

Imagine living far up in the Himalayas, a one-day trek to your nearest neighbour and two days to your local health post. Your children are still young, leaving you with two options if you want to speak to a nurse about your contraceptive options. Either you carry your children on your back all the way, or you risk another unintended pregnancy.

This is where we find Durga. Carrying a bulging backpack, she goes from village to village, door to door, to break down barriers and deliver choice to women – wherever they are, and whatever their circumstances. She pushes boundaries and challenge bias within her community to help others achieve their dreams. She is a Marie Stopes Lady.

She’s part of a network of ‘Avon Ladies’ of sexual and reproductive health, spanning from the Himalayan mountains, to crowded streets in bustling West African towns. They are a generation of nurses and midwives who are using their local knowledge and entrepreneurial skills to break down barriers to contraceptive access by bringing services to the doorsteps of women in their communities – literally.

Help us empower more women like Durga to bring choice to their communities.