Let’s Take the Needs of Women in Childbirth Seriously! (project)

From May 2019 till December 2021 we have been implementing the project Let’s Take the Needs of Women in Childbirth Seriously! Promoting Women’s Human Rights in Public Policies in the Field of Health. Project partners are the Faculty of Health Science of Oslo Metropolitan University and Slovak NGO Women’s Circles (Ženské kruhy). The project is supported by the ACF – Slovakia programme, financed from the EEA Financial Mechanism 2014 – 2021 and managed by the EKOPOLIS Foundation in partnership with Nadácia otvorenej spoločnosti – Open Society Foundation (NOS – OSF) and the Carpathian Foundation.

The main aim of the project is to contribute to increasing public control, NGO networking and exerting of coordinated pressure on the institutions with responsibilities. In cooperation with the partners both from Norway and Slovakia, we have been implementing research and monitoring activities. Within the project, we have been preparing proposals of solutions based on the results. In cooperation with media, we have been shaping public discourse and developing pressure also on institutions with powers.

The outcomes of the project:

• information and data collecting within monitoring and research activities in Slovakia concerning the childbirth experience of women in the context of systemic violations of the human rights of women in childbirth;
• presentation of the research outcomes through reports, articles and other channels;
• events (workshops, discussions, conference) on the childbirth experience of women as well as systemic violations of the human rights of women in childbirth connected to, inter alia, institutional settings and institutional cultures carried out;
• advocating for particular policies in the field of health, influencing/commenting on legislation, particular decisions of the state and/or other decision-makers, developing pressure on particular laws/policies/practices changes;
• conducting communication with the relevant human rights institutions (e. g. CE Commissionaire for Human Rights, UN Committees etc.)
• networking with foreign/international allies mainly in the field of human rights of women including reproductive rights (predominantly with focus on human rights in childbirth); networks with other stakeholders in all fields of the project developed and/or strengthened;
• making more information on childbirth experience of women publicly available with emphasis on certain aspects of the human rights of women mainly through the websites of CDA and other partners in the project, as well as through statements transmitted through media, etc.

The particular project activities:

• Monitoring the situation with a special focus on research on violations of human rights of women in childbirth and the systemic causes for them
• Information and advocacy activities, mainly in the field of policy-making and institutional settings/practices in the thematic fields covered by the project. This includes research activities implemented in partnership with the Institute of Nursing and Health Promotion at the Faculty of Health Sciences, Oslo Metropolitan University, monitoring governmental initiatives if any (including draft legislation and policies) and actions, coverage of the topics in the media, activities of other stakeholders and relevant actors, and collection of specific types of data and/or their analysis. CDA has been organising several information events with the main stakeholders (discussions, workshops, conference, etc.) to facilitate public and professional debates on the issues identified within monitoring and research as well as outcomes from previous research.
• Information and advocacy activities, mainly in the field of policy-making and institutional settings/practices in the thematic fields covered by the project. Advocacy efforts are aimed on adoption of public policies in the field of health respecting women´s rights including reproductive rights and monitoring of these policies as well as for example adoption of the national medical standards regarding the childbirth with focus on respectful treatment of women. The advocacy activities also comprise individual meetings with decision-makers and stakeholders in the fields of the projects. These individual meetings serve multiple purposes including finding allies, exerting pressure on decision-makers, representing the public in communication on the policies and legislation commented, providing feedback relating to the findings of the monitoring and research, etc.

Common activities implemented in the partnership within the project are mostly connected with the preparation and implementation of the research, presentations of the research outcomes, publication of the outcomes, communication of the outcomes to public and media, sharing experience and good practice, building networks, creating alliances and contributing to advocating for systemic changes in birth care provided in healthcare facilities. It includes:

1. Preparation and implementation of the research: preparation of a research plan, implementation of the research – collecting/processing/analysing/synthesizing of the data, publishing the results
2. Presentation of the research outcomes: seminars/discussions for experts (institutions, academia, hospitals, policy makers, NGO, etc.), workshops/discussions for professionals (midwives, doulas, doctors, policy makers, etc.)
3. Publication of the outcomes: an article in international peer-reviewed scientific journal, monitoring reports, web presentations
4. Communication of the outcomes to public and media: press releases / press conferences, media outputs – both in electronic and printed media, outputs on websites, Facebook, etc.
5. Sharing experience and good practice, building networks: an international webinar
6. Creating alliances
7. Contribution to advocating for systemic changes in birth care provided in healthcare facilities

 
The project Let’s Take the Needs of Women in Childbirth Seriously! Promoting Women’s Human Rights in Public Policies in the Field of Health is supported by the ACF – Slovakia programme, financed from the EEA Financial Mechanism 2014 – 2021. The programme is managed by the EKOPOLIS Foundation in partnership with Nadácia otvorenej spoločnosti – Open Society Foundation (NOS – OSF) and the Carpathian Foundation.