Maternal Deaths and Fistula
Religious communities restoring the dignity of women and girls
Maternal Deaths and Fistula- Religions for Peace Womens Network- 4 June 2010
In every minute, a woman or adolescent girl dies in pregnancy and childbirth, while many others who survive suffer from obstetric or traumatic fistula, hidden away and forgotten.
Religious communities can act and be supported to prevent and finally bring to an end maternal deaths and fistula.
Places of worship such as temples, mosques and churches can become facilities for public education, awareness and advocacy on skilled care for women during pregnancy and delivery.
Religious leaders can break the silence on violence against women and become advocates to stop maternal deaths and fistula and its root causes, including poverty and harmful practices such as child marriages.
The moral and social assets of religious communities can be engaged to address the social stigma of women living with fistula and to ensure they receive the care and support that they need at all levels of society.
