In this photo, a woman in the US gives birth, supported by her mother, father and sister, plus midwife, doula and birth assistant. It was important to her to have a midwife and doula from her own community, people who would respect and value her experience as a woman of colour.
In 2021, the maternal mortality rate for black women in the US was 69.9 deaths per 100,000 live births. For white women, it was just 26.6. It’s a similar story in the UK, with black women four times more likely than white women to die in pregnancy or childbirth.
The reasons for this disparity are many and varied, but a key piece of the puzzle is systemic bias in medicine that leads to worse treatment for women of colour. Solving this maternal health crisis is far from straightforward but better representation in healthcare can help, say those involved in the fight for birth equity.
“Black women deserve dignified births,” says doula Amara Ali, who helped at this birth in Dallas, Texas, last year, at which the whole family was present to support the mother in labour.
“As a black birth worker, I am committed to being a safe space for my community. Together we can make an impact on the black maternal and infant mortality rates and change the narrative. We do that by educating, advocating, supporting, providing evidence-based options and being a resource for our community.”
Main image: Lawren Rose
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