Halloween is over, but some things still seem scary!
Boo! The Maternal Rights & Maternal Health Conversation!
This is one conversation that most individuals prefer for it to be a silent one, or one that they just choose not to engage in. Plot twist, neither of those options are actual conversations! It’s time to be fearless and engage in conversation, people!
It makes sense, to want to avoid the conversation at all costs, because it dips its feet into the gender public health arena, it becomes a sensitive subject in religious communities, or it just may not affect you personally so why should you even speak about it?
But the more we choose to stop talking about it, the more health disparities and human rights violations add up for women who are affected by the realities of this very conversation. Whether you are afraid of a conversation all about this topic or you’re ready to strike up a conversation this very moment, Happy Women’s Week and let’s hop in!
The 2016 Presidential Election is coming up in a jiffy, eh? This means you actually have to form your own opinion on certain topics and vote for one of these fools based on those opinions (talk about scary). Whether you identify as a Democrat, Republican, or Independent cheese doodle, or even just as a human being, let’s take a look at how Maternal Rights & Maternal Health could actually affect your opinion and ultimately your vote.
Here’s a couple of questions to make this a bit more like a conversation (see what I did there):
First, let’s go with an easy one: when you think of Maternal Health, what do you think of?
If I had some Doritos, I would place a bet on all of them that 7 out of 10 people reading this will immediately think of abortions.
Which is true, but maternal health is more than just abortions! According to the World Health Organization, ”Maternal health refers to the health of women during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period.”
Next, now this one’s a bit more complicated: when you think of Maternal Rights, what do you think of? Let me whip out the Doritos and say that again it does include abortion, but SO many other things!
Organizations looking to eradicate gender inequality within society and healthcare are dedicated to providing “comprehensive rights-based maternity care”. That sounds amazing! What is that?
According to Genderhealth.org, rights-based maternity care is putting woman and her rights at the center of care and providing “respect for women’s autonomy, dignity, feelings, choices, and preferences strengthens efforts to prevent maternal morbidity and mortality.”
In a neat little nutshell this COULD mean that when you’re talking about Maternal Rights you’re talking about:
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Ensuring that women are able to make informed choices
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Improving the access, safety, efficacy, quality of family planning services & contraceptive options
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Strengthening and expanding family planning services by including HIV and AIDS services
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Antenatal and obstetric care
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Ensure continuing financial and social investment in family planning
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Maternity leave
Today, the scale of maternal mortality and morbidity is dangerously staggering. This can be observed at the local, national and international level.
In a global context, there is such a lack of access to many of these improvements or the access to the education about them. This simple truth makes it unclear where to even begin the conversation, but in June 2010 a resolution was passed by the U.N. Human Rights Council, recognizing maternal mortality as a human rights concern. And so when we hear that we can realize that this needs to at least be a discussion so we can move forward. In a local and national context, women in lower socioeconomic areas do not have access to information and materials to even play a part in making any kind of informed healthcare decisions as women. There are women who because of their job, are unable to take the proper amount of time, if allowed any, for maternity leave, or they do not get paid for their time on leave.
Okay so this may be a lot, but the reality is that there’s so much out there for you to read, discover and then to share and exchange! In college we are always encouraged to serve those who are marginalized. Women have historically been marginalized, particularly those falling under other minority groups and other countries outside of the U.S. As collegiettes, we can be agents of the mission by taking what we learn and put it into action. This involves reaching out to those in need, but it also includes engaging in dialogue with those we spend time with in college!
It’s important to discover if the human rights of women and girls in pregnancy and childbirth is an all-inclusive global priority. If we are serious as a nation of people dedicated to ending preventable maternal deaths, if we believe that women’s rights are human rights, we need to start with a simple shared conversation because words break barriers.
So be fearless, have, and continue to have conversations about topics like Maternal Rights & Maternal Health because “a single word, can make a heart open”. Even though you may not agree with the person you talk to or they may not agree with you, always remember that to be an agent of change we first need to listen to the different perspectives and then make our own choices!
Happy voting, happy discoveries, & happy conversations!