Birth Justice & the Right to Healthcare

09/02/20 • 32 min

Brave Voices, Bold Actions: Women's Health, Rights & You

Too often, treating women with respect is seen as a luxury. It is not. Violations of human rights during childbirth are all too common in labor wards, hurting women’s chances of surviving pregnancy and childbirth.

This episode of White Ribbon Alliance’s Brave Voices, Bold Actions podcast explores Article 6 of the Respectful Maternity Care Charter, and the human right to healthcare and to the highest attainable level of health.
We start with two very different experiences of birth, from Elvia Rosario Muñoz Martínez in Mexico and Helen Abdul from Nigeria. Then we talk with Birth Justice activist Naa Hammond, and Australian midwife and Birthing on Country advocate Cherisse Buzzacott, about what needs to be done to ensure every mother, everywhere, receives quality healthcare during pregnancy and childbirth.
Together, we have the power to destroy the structures that harm women during pregnancy and childbirth!

Topics Covered:

What is Birth Justice, and what does it look like in practice?
How can donors and governments ensure women’s voices are heard and their rights are protected during childbirth?
What is Birthing on Country, and how is it helping Aboriginal mothers in Australia during pregnancy and childbirth?
How can the Respectful Maternity Care Charter save the lives of women across the world?

Transcripts and more information available at www.whiteribbonalliance.org/bravevoicespodcast

Topics Covered:

What is Birth Justice, and what does it look like in practice?
How can donors and governments ensure women’s voices are heard and their rights are protected during childbirth?
What is Birthing on Country, and how is it helping Aboriginal mothers in Australia during pregnancy and childbirth?
How can the Respectful Maternity Care Charter save the lives of women across the world?

Transcripts and more information available at www.whiteribbonalliance.org/bravevoicespodcast

Previous Episode

Ending Racism & Discrimination During Childbirth

This episode of White Ribbon Alliance’s Brave Voices, Bold Actions podcast explores Article 5 of the Respectful Maternity Care Charter, and the human right to equality, freedom from discrimination & equitable care during pregnancy and childbirth.

We hear from Bruce McIntyre, who bravely shares the story of his partner Amber Rose Isaac's experience with racism during childbirth, and Dr. Joia Crear-Perry, who is a leading expert on structural racism and is working with her organization, the National Birth Equity Collaborative, to make sure women and newborns receive the quality, respectful care they deserve.
Together, we have the power to destroy the structures that harm women during pregnancy and childbirth!

Transcripts and more information available at www.whiteribbonalliance.org/bravevoicespodcast

Next Episode

Motherhood in Chains: Detention and Other Violations of Liberty

This episode of White Ribbon Alliance’s Brave Voices, Bold Actions podcast explores Article 7 of the Respectful Maternity Care Charter, and the human right to liberty, autonomy, self-determination & freedom from arbitrary detention during pregnancy and childbirth.

We start with the story of Marie who was detained in a rural Haitian health center for two months after giving birth. Then we chat with Kay Sandberg and Amanda Coslor from the Global Force for Healing and the Compassionate Birth Network about what needs to be done to ensure every mother, everywhere, receives quality, equitable healthcare during pregnancy and childbirth - no matter what.
Together, we have the power to destroy the structures that harm women during pregnancy and childbirth!

Topics:

Why does the right to liberty and freedom from arbitrary detention matter for women's health?
What happens when the human right to freedom from arbitrary detention during pregnancy, childbirth, and after is abused?
Why is childbirth and maternal & infant care often excluded in funders’ agendas for women’s human rights?
How can the Respectful Maternity Care Charter save the lives of women across the world?

Transcripts and more information available at www.whiteribbonalliance.org/bravevoicespodcast

Brave Voices, Bold Actions: Women's Health, Rights & You - Birth Justice & the Right to Healthcare

Transcript

Diana Copeland (00:03):
Too often, treating women with respect is seen as a luxury. It is not. Respectful care and a life free from abuse is due to every woman and every health system around the world, no matter what. Not only is respectful care a right, it is also vitally important to improving women's chances of surviving pregnancy and childbirth. On White Ribbon Alliance's Brave Voices, Bold Actions podcast, we're taking a close look, episode by episode, at the 10 basic rights women and