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CHILDBIRTH AND WOMEN'S RIGHTS
When we talk about reproductive rights, we usually focus on abortion and the question of whether or when a woman gives birth. We rarely consider how, where and with whom she births. Thirty years after the book Our Bodies, Ourselves launched the women's health movement in the United States, birth remains a controversial issue. In 1999, the National Organization for Women voted for the first time to include choice of birth attendant and location in its reproductive rights platform - indicating a new awareness in the feminist movement of the need to expand our dialogue about birth.
Given the opportunity, every woman would choose to give birth in the environment where she feels most comfortable. The ability to choose an appropriate birth setting that is culturally sensitive, comfortable and empowering and a caregiver who is competent and respectful is an essential right that belongs to every woman. The evidence shows that when women are allowed to choose and are supported in their choice, their births have fewer complications, result in better outcomes and give more satisfaction.
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