HRIC INDIA CONFERENCE PROGRAM

Women have a right to survive childbirth, but it is not their only human right.

The Human Rights in Childbirth Global Conference in India will be held at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai from 2-5 February to 2017.

The event addresses how maternity care can optimize maternal and infant health outcomes in a respectful, culturally sensitive, human rights framework.

The Conference will convene a vibrant and interdisciplinary group of maternity care providers, public health professionals, lawyers, activists, policy makers and reproductive justice advocates and others interested in advancing respectful and evidence-based care.

Collaborators and participants will join the front edge of global efforts to eliminate disrespect and abuse in maternity care and ensure non-discriminatory access to care for every woman and baby.

This Conference will help evolve global maternity care policies and practices from the critical recognition that preventable maternal mortality is a human rights issue, toward recognition of the full spectrum of human rights at stake in childbirth.

Together, attendees will envision maternity care systems that attend to the healthcare needs and human rights of mothers, babies, families, and communities worldwide.

DAY 1  – VOICES OF WOMEN  – 4, FEB 2017

Keynote Address

• Aparajita Gogoi (WRAI)

​Plenary Panel: Indian Maternity Care Development and Human Rights – is there a connection?

• Dr. Kirti Iyengar (UNFPA)
• Dr. Prakassama (ANSWERS)
• Dr. David Osrin (Paediatrician)
• Kerry McBroom (ICRC Rapporteur)

Panel 1  – Women’s Experience of Care – too little too late?

• Unnimaya Kurup (IIT Madras)
• Sohini Chattophadya (FreelanceJournalist)
• Asha Kilaru (BBN) & Pushpalatha M
• Sarita Barpanda (HRLN)

Panel 2  – Non-Discriminatory Access to Maternity Healthcare Services

• Manju Kamarcharya
• Sushma Shende (SNEHA)         
• Nalini Visvanatham
• Regina Tames (GIRE)

Panel 3  – Womens’ Experience of Care – too much too soon?

• Ibu Eka Maya, Midwife Indonesia (video)
• Subarna Ghosh (Birth India)
• Vijaya Krishnan (Healthy Mother)
• Lina Duncan (Mumbai Midwives)

​DAY 2  – SYSTEMS OF CARE  – 3, FEB 2017

Lancet: Maternal Health Series (Asia Launch)

• Prof. Suellen Miller, Ob/Gyn (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine)
• Prof. Lynn Freedman (ADMM)

Panel 1  – Organizing healthcare for Improving Quality and Respect

• Prof. Neel Shah (Ariadne Labs)
• Dr. Jishnu Das (Worldbank)
• Prof. Lesley Page (RCOM)

Panel 2  – Supporting Healthy Birth

• Dr. Armida Fernandez (SNEHA)  
• Stella Mpanda (Childbirth Survival International Tanzania)
• Maha Al-Musa (EmbodyBirth)
• Amelia Christmas (PRONTO)

Panel 3  – Evidence and Human Rights in Indian Obstetric Medicine

• Dr. Evita Fernandez & Indie Kaur (Fernandez Hospital)
• Dr. Arun Gadhre (SAATHI)
• Dr. Rinku Sengupta (Sitaram Bhartia)

DAY 3  – ACCOUNTABILITY & CHANGE  – 4, FEB 2017

Keynote Address  – Human Rights in Childbirth  – the legal framework in India

• Prof. Asha Bajpai (UNCRC)

Panel 1  – Rethinking the Role of Midwives in the Region

• Frances McConville (WHO)
• Frances Day-Stirk (ICM)
• Lancet Midwifery Series
• Prof. Saraswati Vedam (University of British Columbia)           

Panel 2  – Accountability & Advocacy for Change

• Payal Shah (CRR)
• Anubha Rastogi (Advocate, Maharashtra)
• Sarah Malkani (Lawyer, Pakistan)
• Purna Shrestha (Center for Reproductive Rights)
• Sabin Shrestha (FWLD)

Panel 3  – Quality, Progress and Vision in Maternity Care

• Dr. Aruna Uprety (Nepal) 
• Prof. Hannah Dahlen  (University of Sydney)
• Dr. M S Kamath

Closing Keynote  – For Richer and for Poorer – changing the landscape of Indian Maternity Healthcare, one woman at a time

• Bashi Hazard (HRiC)

DAY 4  – COLLABORATION DAY  – 5, FEB 2017

This is a day to for attendees and speakers to work together to discuss the most valuable actions to take to ensure we put back the Human Rights in childbirth.

The questions we will be discussing are:
(a) What are the 5 priority areas that need immediate attention in maternity healthcare in the region?

(b) How will those identified priorities support and/or protect women’s human rights in pregnancy and childbirth?

(c) If you were in charge, what steps would you take to make these priority areas a reality?
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HRiC is an international network of some of the most influential thought leaders who work to address global maternal and newborn health issues through the lens human rights in interdisciplinary and innovative ways. HRiC integrates the professional and political segmentation of women’s and children’s health, and advocates for recognition of the full range of human rights at stake in pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum.

Birth India was initially founded in 2007 by five women in Mumbai from various nationalities. These women were looking to make a positive difference in the way women in India are cared for during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum. Since inception, we have seen an increase in the presence of international childbirth education, birthing options, doulas, midwives, and lactation institutions within India. Our mission is to promote the benefits of best practices for childbirth in India by advocating for women’s reproductive rights and spreading awareness on mother-baby-friendly care.

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Our partners include: Human Rights Law Network, The White Ribbon Alliance, United Nations Family Planning Association, The Tata Institute of Social Science, The Lancet and IdeaHive

Come be apart of this incredible work at the Human Rights in Childbirth Conference in Mumbai India.

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