Areas considered critical in reproductive health in Indonesia are the islands of Madura, the coastal areas of Java (such as Bangil, Pasuruan, Probolinggo, Situbondo, Bondowoso, and Jember), Padang in West Sumatra, the island of Sulawesi, and Kalimantan. They are areas in which communities hold strongly to and prefer to practice particular social norms related to reproductive health (for example in the delivery of babies). These norms are affected by Islamic law (Sharīʿa), which uses the concept of “sin”; this underlies the basic principle of human responsibility to God.

Most women …