The White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood is an international coalition of individuals and organizations formed to promote increased public awareness of the need to make pregnancy and childbirth safe for all women and newborns in the developing, as well as, developed countries.
The white ribbon is dedicated to the memory of all women who have died in pregnancy and childbirth. In some cultures, white symbolizes mourning and in others it symbolizes hope and life. The white ribbon represents this dual meaning globally. The White Ribbon Alliance not only works to sustain life and hope for all women, but also mourns and honors those women who did not survive pregnancy or childbirth.
The White Ribbon Alliance represents an opportunity for new partnerships to work together to advance women's health and women's rights everywhere. The WRA:
- Educates its members and member organizations through seminars, working groups etc.;
- Creates with its members educational, communication and technical materials for use by members and others;
- Organizes policy efforts directed at national and local governments to increase funding and programs for Safe Motherhood;
- Supports and assists countries (other than the U.S.) to create a national White Ribbon Alliance (i.e. Nepal, Indonesia, India, Madagascar, Vietnam etc.).
Since its launch in 1999, the White Ribbon Alliance has been a leader among those holding governments and institutions to account for the tragedy of maternal mortality. With members in 118 countries and National Alliances established in 13 - Burkina Faso, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malawi, Nepal, Pakistan, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Yemen and Zambia - WRA is amplifying the voices of people suffering from the greatest burden of morbidity and mortality of complications due to pregnancy and childbirth.
Click here to go to the WRA website.
For the latest news and information and to view the WRA newsletters, please click here.
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NEW!!!
Midwives are being asked to write a letter or send an email to the secretary of state for international development Douglas Alexander, urging him to prioritise maternal mortality with colleagues at the upcoming G8 summit.
Organisers have drafted a copy of a letter people may wish to use:
Dear Mr Alexander,
As a champion for many years on maternal health in poor countries, we really hope that you are taking every opportunity, in the run up to the G8 Summit, to lobby development ministers and heads of state to explicitly recognise that the goal of MDG5 is not on target and therefore demands urgent attention and additional resources.
As you know, it is imperative that we act now to prevent the millions of needless deaths of women in pregnancy and childbirth.
We strongly urge you to pick up the phone to your colleagues in the G8 countries and rally ministers to support this issue, and would really appreciate hearing how you get on.
Department for International Development email – FAO Douglas Alexander
enquiry@dfid.gov.uk
Katy Woods from White Ribbon Alliance should be copied in on any email sent (kwoods@whiteribbonalliance.org) to allow organisers to keep track of the amount of emails that have been sent.
