January, 2010

As we gear up for the new year ahead and new leadership in the White House, the fate and well-being of hundreds of thousands of women around the world hangs in the balance. More than half a million women die each year giving birth. Young women -- adolescent girls ages 15 to 19 -- are often the most vulnerable; they account for at least 20 percent of these largely preventable deaths. Fifteen percent of all pregnant women worldwide experience obstetric complications. Too often, a young woman will be in labor for several days, resulting in her baby's death because her birth is unattended. As it stands, 13 percent of these maternal deaths worldwide -- 67,000 per year -- are due to unsafe abortion procedures.