In this photo, a woman in the United States gives birth with the support of her mother, father, sister, and a midwife, doula, and birth assistant. It was important for her to have midwives and doulas in her community who respected and valued her experience as a woman of color.
In 2021, the maternal mortality rate for Black women in the United States was 69.9 deaths per 100,000 live births. For white women, it was only 26.6. The same is true in the UK, where black women are four times more likely to die during pregnancy or childbirth than white women.
The reasons for this disparity are manifold, but a key piece of the puzzle is systemic bias in health care that leads to poor treatment of women of color. Solving this maternal health crisis will be far from easy, but better representation in the medical field could help, say those involved in the fight for birth equity.
“Black women deserve a dignified birth,” said Amara Ali, a doula who helped with the birth in Dallas, Texas, last year, where the entire family was present to support the mother during labor.
“As a Black birth worker, I am committed to being a safe space for our community. Together we can impact Black maternal and infant mortality rates and change the narrative. We do it by educating, advocating, supporting, providing evidence-based options, and being a resource for our communities.”
Main image: Lauren Rose
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