NYC4CEDAW Act Community Talkback Webinar Series
Thursday, October 15^th at 7 pm on Zoom
RSVP (for zoom link): http://bit.ly/nyc4cedaw15

The second in a series of Community Talkback webinars hosted by NYC4CEDAW Act focusing on Gender and Racial disparities in the delivery of Healthcare will focus on Maternal Mortality.

During this period of the COVID-19 pandemic, health issues are at the forefront. We see that communities of color are more at risk. We must consider how the pandemic has affected an already existing crisis of maternal mortality. This is a crisis of human rights.

Preventable maternal mortality is a human rights crisis in the United States. The U.S. is one of only 13 countries in the world, and the only country with an advanced economy, where pregnancy-related deaths are on the rise. Women in the U.S. are more likely to die from pregnancy complications than those in 45 other countries. Further, nationally, African-American women are three to four times more likely than white women to die from pregnancy- or childbirth-related causes.

Most pregnancy-related deaths are preventable. Why then in the United States, with the world’s largest economy, do more women die in child birth than in other advanced countries? (United Nations Human Development Report) And, within the United States, why do black women die three and a half times more often than white women? (CDC Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System) And why, when between 1990 and 2013 the worldwide maternal mortality rate fell by 45 percent, did the rate in the United States keep increasing? (UN Human Development Report / CDC Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System)

NYC4CEDAW Act will bring together community members to discuss the problem of maternal mortality in the US with special focus on what New York City can do. A diverse group of experts including, doctors, doulas, nurses, pregnant mothers, women who have had near-death experience during childbirth and family members who have lost a loved one – will discuss what the health care system can do to protect more women from harm, and the steps that all of us can take to prevent the continuing tide of maternal mortality and morbidity.

In a January 2019 press release, Senator Kristen Gillibrand noted: Over the past decade, New York State has experienced a 60 percent increase in maternal mortality. According to the NYS Department of Health, the rate of maternal deaths in New York City has risen from 18.7 per 100,000 live births in 2007 to 31 per 100,000 live births in 2015. Racial disparities are also very evident, particularly in New York City, where more than half of all births in the state take place. In New York City, black women are estimated to be up to 12 times more likely to die during pregnancy and childbirth than white women and are three times more likely to suffer from life-threatening complications according to a 2018 study.

Human rights standards surrounding safe pregnancy, childbirth, and respectful maternal care are rooted in the human rights to life, health, equality, and non-discrimination. Governments must ensure these rights by creating enabling conditions that support healthy women, healthy pregnancies, and healthy births. Fundamental human rights are violated when pregnant and birthing women endure preventable suffering, including death, illness, injury, mistreatment, abuse, discrimination, and denials of information and bodily autonomy. A human rights based approach to maternal health in the United States requires the government to directly confront racial discrimination in the context of maternal health and to specifically address the harms and inequalities faced by Black women during pregnancy and childbirth.

NYC4CEDAW Act is a coalition of over 300 organizations in New City, overseen by a steering committee of volunteers, advocating for structures to ensure gender equality be incorporated into New York City law through our partnership with the Commission for Gender Equity – CGE.

CEDAW, the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, is an international human rights treaty, that provides a universal definition of discrimination against women and brings attention to a whole range of issues concerning women’s human rights. Countries that ratify CEDAW are mandated to condemn all forms of discrimination against women and girls and to ensure equality for women and girls in the civil, political, economic, social, and cultural arenas.

NYC4CEDAW Act Coalition: http://nyc4cedaw.org/

Panelists: (Confirmed)

• Glenda A. Hatchett, Esq
  • The Hatchett Firm
• Pilar Herrero
  • Senior Staff Attorney
  • Center for Reproductive Rights
• Brenda Robinson, DNP, MSN, RN
  • Black Nurses Coalition
• Nubia Martin
  • Midwife
• Chanel Porchia-Albert
  • Founder and Executive Director
  • Ancient Song Doula Services

Panelists: (Invited)

• Rodneyse Bichotte
  • New York State Assemblywoman
• Charles Johnson
  • Founder 4Kira4Moms
• Bruce McIntyre
  • Partner of Amber Isaac