Reviewed by Zohra Yusuf

It is unlikely that Zadia Birru of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia could have met Dr Nafis Sadik, the subject of this biography, or even heard of her. Indeed, their lives couldn’t be more different. Yet Zadia’s story is one among many of the kind that motivated the Pakistani doctor to make women’s reproductive health her mission in life.

American journalist and writer, Cathleen Miller, has adopted an unusual approach to writing a biography. And it works. The chapters in Champion of Choice: The Life and Legacy of Women’s Advocate Nafis Sadik  alternately cover Sadik’s life and the precarious reproductive health of ordinary women across the globe. What adds to the relevance of this approach is, of course, Sadik’s international status as a well-known advocate of women’s reproductive rights.

Many Pakistanis know of Sadik through her work at United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) which she headed for a long period. However, surprisingly, little has been written about her life and work in the local media. This biography is, therefore, all the more welcome. It’s a comprehensive study of a woman who became a trailblazer at a young age and at a time when it was uncommon for young Pakistani women to seriously pursue a career. Born into relative privilege and into a traditional family, Sadik asserted herself at a fairly young age. The eldest of five children of Iffatara and Mohammed Shoaib, she showed determination of will and clarity of vision at an early age. She was fortunate in having the support of her parents — her father, in particular — and later of her husband, Azhar Sadik, who was an officer in the Pakistan Army. In fact, her husband’s position in the army contributed to her considerable experience of dealing with women’s health in various parts of the country.

Champion of Choice comprehensively covers both Sadik’s personal and professional lives. Starting her medical career by looking after the obstetric needs of the wives of officers and soldiers, Sadik only once took a three-month break from professional life to try being a housewife and socialite, a short sabbatical that convinced her that this role wasn’t meant for her. Her early exposure to the women who came to her with gynaecological problems and the attitude of their husbands deepened her resolve to work towards women’s reproductive health. As the author notes, in the ’50s, it was unheard of that men — particularly from the armed forces — would listen to the advice of a woman and that, too, one so young.