Protecting human rights in childbirth
Registered Charity Number 1151152
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Human rights violations in maternity care disproportionately impact migrant, refugee, and asylum-seeking women and birthing people. This is a systemic issue that demands a systemic, rights-based response.
In February 2024, we submitted evidence to the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls during an official visit to the UK in February. The Special Rapporteur shared her preliminary findings to the Government officials at the end of the visit in March 2024.
Shanthi Gunesekera and Janaki Mahadevan will be stepping down as Birthrights co-CEOs from July 2025. Birthrights’ trustees have now started recruitment for a new CEO/s.
Healthcare regulators are meant to protect the public but their toxic cultures perpetrate so many of the key problems rife in maternity care.
Healthcare regulators are meant to protect the public but their toxic cultures perpetrate so many of the key problems rife in maternity care.
The latest CQC State of Care report is a damning reflection on the state of the NHS and the inability of current structures to address significant failings and systemic inequalities across the health system.
The latest MBRRACE report paints a bleak picture of worsening outcomes for all women … Read more
Too often there is a lack of understanding of how the law applies to maternity care among the healthcare professionals that deliver maternity care, the managers and commissioners of services or even the regulators.
The report once again shows that our maternity care system is in crisis; and it disproportionately impacts the most marginalised women and birthing people.
Last week, Birthrights channeled our energy into writing to local, regional and national politicians and policy makers to make sure they were considering the needs of pregnant women and birthing people in their resilience and emergency plans. We insisted that safe measures be put in place to enable access to hospital, community and home-based maternity care, particularly for Black, Brown and Muslim women and birthing people while ensuring the safety of staff.