Violence in the Labor Ward: Why Respectful Care Matters

06/23/20 • 29 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 1 of the Respectful Maternity Care Charter, and the human right to give birth free from harm and ill treatment – one component of the top request from the What Women Want campaign: respectful, dignified care.

We hear from Sabina Jankovičová, who bravely shares her birth story and the damage caused by the disrespectful treatment she received at the hands of her healthcare providers, and Kate Gilmore, former UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, who helps examine how violations of women’s rights in childbirth are part of the continuum of violence that women and girls experience throughout their lifetimes. Together, we have the power to destroy the structures that harm women during pregnancy and childbirth!
Learn more at www.whiteribbonalliance.org/bravevoicespodcast.

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

Respectful care is a universal human right. It is due to every woman in every health system around the world. And, it was the top request from the What Women Want campaign, which heard from 1.2 million women worldwide about what they want most for their healthcare.

On White Ribbon Alliance's Brave Voices, Bold Actions podcast, we’ll take a close look, episode by episode, at the ten basic universal human rights that all women and newborns are due in pregnancy and childbirth.

From global human rights advocates to community leaders creating real change, the Brave Voices, Bold Actions podcast will introduce you to the experts working on the women’s rights issues you care about.

This podcast will give you what you need to understand what women’s and newborn’s rights in childbirth are, and how to advocate successfully for those rights, wherever you are.

Next Episode

The Fight for Reproductive Justice

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 2 of the Respectful Maternity Care Charter, and the human right to information, informed consent, & respect for choices & preferences, including companion of choice during maternity care & refusal of medical procedures.

We hear from Monique Lacombe, who bravely shares her birth story and the damage caused by the disrespectful treatment she received at the hands of her healthcare providers, and reproductive rights advocate Isabel Fulda, who is working with GIRE Mexico to end obstetric violence in Mexico and beyond. Together, we have the power to destroy the structures that harm women during pregnancy and childbirth!
Learn more at www.whiteribbonalliance.org/bravevoicespodcast.

Brave Voices, Bold Actions: Women's Health, Rights & You - Violence in the Labor Ward: Why Respectful Care Matters

Transcript

Kate Gilmore: (00:05)
Law matters. It's not just about personal opinion. It's about right and wrong, what is lawful and what's not lawful.
Diana Copeland: (00:15)
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. On White Ribbon Alliance's Brave Voices, Bold Actions podcast, we'll be taking a close look, episode by episode, at the 10 basic rights women and n