Why Community Health Workers Can Lead to More Respectful Care for Women and Girls

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By: Amy Dempsey, Knowledge Translation and Advocacy Manager, Maternal and Newborn Health, Population Council

While many research and program initiatives focus on new innovations for advancing improvements in maternal and newborn health, the truth is that even today, basic access to health services can save lives and reduce mortality and morbidity in women and children. This is where community health workers come in…read more

Landmark Ruling in Kenya: A Victory for Respectful Maternity Care

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By: Rhiannon George-Carey, Visiting Fellow, Women and Health Initiative, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

This year, International Day for Maternal Health and Rights fell three weeks after a Kenyan woman was awarded 25,000 USD in compensation by a court in Bungoma, Kenya for the disrespect and abuse she suffered during childbirth in 2013. This is a landmark case for women, in Kenya and globally, and is an affirmation of their human right to respectful and dignified maternity care…read more

What Do Women Want When It Comes to High Quality Maternal and Reproductive Health Care?

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By: Kayla McGowan, Project Coordinator, Women and Health Initiative, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Launched today on International Day for Maternal Health and Rights by the White Ribbon Alliance and partners, the What Women Want campaign aims to gather input from at least one million women and adolescent girls about how they define high quality maternal and reproductive health services. Take the one-question survey and spread the word!…read more

International Day for Maternal Health and Rights: Five Perspectives on Respectful Maternity Care

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By: Kayla McGowan, Project Coordinator, Women and Health Initiative, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Tomorrow, 11 April is International Day for Maternal Health and Rights, a call-to-action to address every woman’s right to high quality, respectful care before, during and after pregnancy. Experts in research, midwifery, obstetrics and gynecology and program implementation share insight into respectful maternity care (RMC) and how to integrate the principles of RMC into quality improvement initiatives…read more