How Gender ImpactsSafe Motherhood
IGWG Training Taskforce:
Gender and Safe Motherhood
Safe Motherhood Basics
Childbirth: life-threatening risk forwomen in the developing world
•As of 2005, it is estimated that 536,000 women die yearlyfrom causes related to pregnancy and birth.
–99% of those deaths occur in the developing world
•Another 10–20 million women every year face severehealth problems, such as obstetric fistula.
Common causes of maternal deathglobally
The three deadly delays
1. Recognizing signs and deciding to seek care
2. Identifying and reaching a medical facility
3. Receiving adequate and appropriate treatment
How can maternal deaths be prevented?
Priority interventions include:
•Skilled attendance at all births
•Emergency obstetric care
•Reproductive health and family planning services,including safe abortion
Also, greater focus on postnatal care
Global estimates indicate that maternal mortalitycould be reduced…
•By 75%, with skilled attendance at all births backedby emergency obstetric care
•By 33%, with voluntary family planning
•By 13%, with access to safe abortion
How can maternal deaths be prevented?(cont.)
Who does maternal mortality andmorbidity affect?
–Women
–Children of women who die in childbirth
•2–10 times greater likelihood of death within first two years
–Family, community, and country
•Decreased economic contributions to household, paid and nonpaid
•Psychological and social impact on family, including increased numberof children leaving school
•US$15 billion estimated cost of maternal mortality
Key Gender-Related Barriers
Gender-related barriers to safemotherhood
–Poor nutrition
•Girls
•Pregnant women
–Early first pregnancy
–Early marriage
•Pregnancy-related deaths are the leading cause of mortalityfor 15–19 year-old girls worldwide.
–Lack of information and education
–Restriction of women’s movement outside the home
–Gendered division of household labor
Gender-related barriers to safemotherhood (cont.)
Gender-based violence
-Intimate partner violence against women may increaseduring pregnancy
-Female genital cutting
Gender-related barriers to safemotherhood (cont.)
–Lack of decisionmaking power
•Resources for healthcare
•How many children to have
•Spacing between pregnancies
•Use of contraception
Gender-related barriers to safemotherhood (cont.)
–Exist at many different levels
•Individuals
•Couples
•Families and communities
•Health service and other institutions
•Policies
Gender-related barriers to safemotherhood (cont.)
Safe motherhood relatedto women’s status
•Even though women are honored in all cultures asthe givers of life, they are also often dishonored ashuman beings.
•In short, women’s status is a strong predictor ofmaternal mortality.
Thank You!