International Human Rights Day 2014
Every Mother Counts honors International Human Rights Day and shares why it’s so important to maternal health.
“Where after all do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home — so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any map of the world. Yet they are the world of the individual person: The neighborhood he lives in; the school or college he attends; the factory, farm or office where he works. Such are the places where every man, woman, and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere.” -Eleanor Roosevelt
Every year on December 10th, we honor International Human Rights Day. The United Nation’s initiated this day in 1950 to bring attention to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as the common standard of achievement for all people and all nations. This year’s slogan, Human Rights 365, proposes the idea that every day is human rights day. We believe that all citizens, regardless of gender should enjoy the same rights, status and privileges in society — including the right to healthcare, employment, education, clean water, sanitation, and representation in government.
How do human rights violations impact maternal health?
Human rights play a large role in the work we do to make pregnancy and childbirth safe for every mother because women routinely face barriers that prevent them from accessing healthcare and raising their children to the best of their abilities.
When women are denied access to high-quality, compassionate healthcare for their reproductive needs based on their inability to pay, their social status, religious or cultural beliefs, or lack of education or transportation, their human rights are being violated. It happens all over the world, every day, and it’s up to each of us to make that change. Until these rights are available to all, Every Mother Counts will be honoring Human Rights Day every day through the work we do to empower women and to help provide safe, respectful maternal healthcare.
Day-by-day, person-by-person, we can improve human rights for every mother, child, family and community. Every Mother Counts is working in seven countries to help make pregnancy and childbirth safe for every mother. You can help too by raising awareness in your communities about the issues women face that lead to poor maternal health.
Join Every Mother Counts efforts this #GratitudeSeason by giving the Gift of Motherhood, with gifts that go directly to programs that improve maternal health around the world.