Take Action: Pregnancy matters

Maternal mortality and the human rights of women

Global statistics show that over 500,000 women die each year from complications during pregnancy or childbirth; 99% of these deaths occur in developing countries [1]. The conditions that enable these unnecessary deaths vary, but timely strategies to improve the lives of women and girls can reduce the risk of pregnancy and childbirth.

The journey to a successful pregnancy for a woman in the developing world can be perilous. Assuming she is not a child forced into marriage facing her first pregnancy at fourteen, her closest maternal care clinic may be 40 kilometres away. In the least developed countries, only 39% of women have a skilled attendant during their childbirth. For the fourteen year-old, unattended complications during childbirth may lead to obstetric fistula— a severe medical condition in which a hole develops between the rectum/bladder and vagina.

For the woman with access to antenatal care, a mandatory HIV test may reveal that she is HIV-positive. Often with no support or counselling, she has to face her partner and family with the news. Assuming her partner does not beat or abuse her for ‘bringing HIV into the home’, she may have no access to antiretroviral medication that would ensure her baby is born HIV-negative and she has a healthy life during which she can raise and care for her child. And what if she was circumcised as a girl? The World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that female genital mutilation increases risk of childbirth complications and newborn deaths.

Upholding women’s rights

The strategies to ensure women can have safe pregnancies are multi-fold: from ensuring girls stay in school and are not forced into marriage to providing adequate health care. But to be successful, these strategies must be centred on reducing poverty, eliminating inequality and eradicating harmful gender norms and traditions. By upholding a girl’s right to health from when she is born to when she is elderly, governments can ensure not only women’s wellbeing but society’s as well.

The impact women’s poor health has on the community, economy and country is increasingly being recognised by governments and world leaders. At the March 2009 session of the Human Rights Council, 83 governments reaffirmed their commitment to addressing maternal mortality as a human rights issue. Governments identified specific steps the Council can take and requested that member states include women in decision-making around maternal health [2].

The International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) held in Cairo in 1994 concluded with pledges outlined in a Programme of Action. The outcomes of the ICPD in turn informed the language of Millennium Development Goal 5 on maternal health. The ICPD Programme of Action and MDG 5 provide a clear framework for action to achieve universal access to reproductive health services by 2015. Women’s organisations like the YWCA—with its experience in providing services and history of advocating for women’s rights—are well placed to respond to the needs of women and girls. By holding government’s accountable to the Programme of Action and MDG 5 and supporting women with services that contribute to preventing unnecessary deaths, YWCAs can play a crucial role in achieving women’s reproductive rights.

[1] UNICEF, State of the World’s Children Report 2008

[2] WomenDeliver.org news retrieved 29.04.09