Terms of Reference: Key Stakeholder Advisory Group (KSAG)

Human Rights in Childbirth (HRiC) is developing a new strategy to inform our advocacy and strategic direction over the next three years. Our goal is to develop a sustainable network of key stakeholders in order to make full use of, and build on, our collective skills and capacity so as to defend maternal and infant rights at the global level, and inform advocacy at the regional and national level. We will refer to this network as the Key Stakeholder Advisory Group (KSAG).
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About Us

HRiC supports, without exception, the full spectrum of reproductive rights, including:

1. the right to have a child or to not have a child; 
2. the right not to be separated from our children; 
3. the right to be able to care for our children in accordance with our cultural, spiritual and community norms, consistent with the human rights of women and children; 
4. the right to control our birthing options, including the right to decide our care providers, birth companions, treatment options and the circumstances of our birth; and
5. the right to dignity and equality in pregnancy and childbirth.

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Efforts to elevate any one of these rights at the expense of the other is to place arbitrary limits on a woman’s right to bodily autonomy and informed consent, with potentially harmful consequences for mothers and babies. Our collaborative engagement with stakeholders will be based on our mission, vision and values.

About KSAG

The KSAG will meet at least four times a year online and will focus on specific issues of significance affecting the human rights of pregnant and birthing women and newborns. An initial period of development will require additional meetings. 

(NB: Subject to the number of responses we receive, a smaller steering group may need to be formed to consult on strategy development plans, principles of engagement and pre and post meeting communications.
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Participants 

HRiC seeks to ensure that our key stakeholders, those whose right to health is not realized and those without access to quality healthcare, are meaningfully involved in the KSAG. In order for the process to be inclusive, this group should have diverse representation, including those who are often marginalized or unheard. We will endeavor to support the engagement of persons from vulnerable and/or marginalized groups.

The KSAG will not be limited in number. We do, however, encourage stakeholder organizations to register their interest as an organization rather than as individual participants. 

Stakeholders will provide input and feedback into the subject matter and format of each meeting.

Fee setting

The first six months of engagement will not incur a fee. From thereon, we seek contributions on a tiered basis, defined by region and income levels. Contributions will be used to support engagement with developing nations, disbursements and related administrative expenses. 

Our contributions of time and skill will continue to be on a voluntary basis.

Proposed timeline

End of May: We will contact all persons who have expressed an interest by email.

June: Strategy and engagement draft documents will be circulated for feedback and finalisation.

July: Inaugural meeting to review and adopt engagement plans, meeting structure and appointment of stakeholders into specific roles. Discussion and brainstorming on future agenda items. Subject to EOIs, meeting may be held twice in two time zones. 

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View the call for KSAG Expressions of Interest here.