One of the purposes of Respectful Maternity Care is to strengthen the human right of every childbearing woman. Commonly, safe motherhood is restricted to giving only physical safety to a pregnant. However, the personal (e.g., mental and social health) and cultural preferences of a woman and her family must also be considered. It should not only be limited to preventing the maternal mortality and morbidity, but also must include respecting every woman’s basic human rights. This basic human rights includes respect for autonomy, feelings, dignity, and preferences, companionship, and maternity care.
Not all of the pregnant women undergoing maternal care receives the same treatment as with other women. Some of them experience may experience unjust treatment from the maternal caregivers or even from the whole healthcare system. This may cause emotional damage, emotional trauma, or injure the confidence and self-esteem of the maternal. These women that are particularly being described are those who are belonging to marginalized sectors and those who are highly vulnerable like adolescents, ethnic minorities, physical and mental disabilities, and HIV.
Thus, the charter was formulated to advocate for gender equity and right for protection of every childbearing woman in the maternity care. This would allow every pregnant woman to protect themselves against disrespect and abuse that they experience from any healthcare system. There are seven different issues that encompasses disrespect and abuse to childbearing women. Each of the tackled issue has its corresponding right under respectful maternity care. These are listed in the table below:
Tackling Disrespect and Abuse: Seven Rights of Childbearing Women
|
Category of Disrespect and Abuse |
Corresponding Right |
|
Freedom from harm and ill treatment |
|
Right to information, informed consent and refusal, and respect for choices and preferences, including companionship during maternity care |
|
Confidentiality, privacy |
|
Dignity, respect |
|
Equality, freedom from discrimination, equitable care |
|
Right to timely healthcare and to the highest attainable level of health |
|
Liberty, autonomy, self‐determination, and freedom from coercion |
Aside from those mentioned above, the charter also aims to apply the concept of human right towards the maternity care of the women. While human right is implicitly given for everyone, it is not that practically applied to the maternal care. We should take note that maternal health, as mentioned previously, must also include the mental and social preferences of every woman. Thus, with human right applied to maternal care, maternal health is fully maximized because every aspect of it is fully touched. Aside from this, the charter also emphasizes the call for human right because there is no current universal charter that entails how human rights would specifically be applied towards childbearing women. It should be taken note that human right is inalienable and should be equally applied to anyone, regardless of the social status, race, religion, and educational attainment.
References:
Maternal Health Task Force. (n.d.). Respectful Maternity Care. Retrieved February 27, 2022, from https://www.mhtf.org/topics/respectful-maternity-care/
World Health Organization. (n.d.). Respectful Maternity Care: The Universal Rights of Childbearing Women. https://www.who.int/woman_child_accountability/ierg/reports/2012_01S_Respectful_Maternity_Care_Charter_The_Universal_Rights_of_Childbearing_Women.pdf