Monowara lives in the Khulna Division of Bangladesh. A mother of four, she is from a rural community experiencing significant levels of poverty. Now in her sixties, she spent 13 years with cataracts and deteriorating vision, unable to fully participate in community life and see members of her family clearly. Eye disease has been found to be almost 35% higher among women than men in Bangladesh, yet the surgical coverage rate for cataracts is more than 12% lower in women .