Bring Awareness of the Necessity of The White House Hosting a Maternal Health Summit
First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey has teamed up to host 'United State of Women' Summit at the White House starting June 14, 2016. While the topics, presenters and invitees remains 'diverse,' the indomitable subject of maternal health, maternal health disparity, breastfeeding stigmatization and maternal health education in the United States and the world is chronically bereft. The result: The United States does not rank in the top three, five or ten countries in the world in positive maternal health outcomes.
"Birth impacts every single human being on earth. Women are subjected to chronic birth oppression that results in traumatic stress syndrome, unecessarians, maternal health discrimination, maternal complications, maternal/fetal death as well as lack of access to education, professions and resources.
There are many women here in the United States of America and the world that are dedicated to reducing the negative statistics and occurrences surrounding maternal health. Many of us are not celebrities but champions in our communities promoting awareness through social media, and our work with the underserved, and the racially and economically separated. Maternal health has become capitalistic: A profit is made from reactionary actions, rather than investing in empowerment and equality.
This petition is generated; at the onset of the first United State of Women Summit 2016, the time of embracing our authentic selves in the decade of the family, it is blaring obvious that maternal health is not a specific topic but marginally present under 'healthcare' if at all.
All those that sign this petition are authentically aware of the myriad of challenges maternal healthcare of America and the world face; every minute a woman in labor faces an unnecessary intervention, does not have adequate support or resources; she and her baby face trauma and death as a result. Statistics and evidence based studies support these statements as well as the fact that women of color and their babies face even higher negative maternal health outcomes in America.
It is the goal that a summit be developed solely dedicated to Maternal Health, and the frontline, grassroots persons who face these challenges everyday have the opportunity to bring forth the awareness of this plight that is now at the rate of epigenetic traumatic proportions.
It is the goal that resources will become mainstream in maternal health such as doulas, midwives and lactation support professionals. It is the goal of this petition that awareness and action be generated on Maternal Health resulting in a wave of awareness, advocacy, access, education and policy reframing that removes pregnancy and childbirth as a diagnosis to continuity of positive outcomes.
It is the goal that those who facilitate the 2016 United State of Women Summit will also invest in a Maternal Health Summit. The time is now to augment maternity leave, mainstream breastfeeding, reduce Cesarean Section rates, train more diverse midwives, allow doulas as a healthcare benefit and to promote empowerment, not fear in pregnancy and childbirth. Our future generations depend on how we regard pregnancy and childbirth today. Please sign and share. It is time for the world to get up of your backs when it comes to maternal health.
Follow us on
