International Women’s Day: Ensuring the Universal Rights of All Childbearing Women

By: Staff, Maternal Health Task Force

Today on International Women’s Day—and every day—we must work to end preventable maternal mortality and protect the following universal rights of all childbearing women before, during and after childbirth:

1. Every woman has the right to be free from harm and ill treatment
2. Every woman has the right to information, informed consent and refusal and respect for her choices and preferences, including the right to her choice of companionship during maternity care, whenever possible
3. Every woman has the right to privacy and confidentiality
4. Every woman has the right to be treated with dignity and respect
5. Every woman has the right to equality, freedom from discrimination and equitable care
6. Every woman has the right to health care and to the highest attainable level of health
7. Every woman has the right to liberty, autonomy, self-determination and freedom from coercion

Continued research, commitment and collaboration among the global community will help safeguard these rights for every woman, everywhere.

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What is your organization doing to advance the universal rights of all childbearing women? We’d love to hear from you!

Join the conversation on International Women’s Day by using #InternationalWomensDay and #IWD2018.

Access the full Respectful Maternity Care Charter.

Learn more about respectful maternity care and ending preventable maternal mortality.

Read key highlights from the World Health Organization’s new guideline on intrapartum care.