Equality For Women Is Progress For All: Access To Life Saving Services for Pregnant Women Is A Matter of Fairness and Right

Senfuka Samuel

bsenfuka@gmail.com/info@wrauganda.org

A Book Cover of Becoming A Mother

Traditionally, every 8th March the world celebrates women in recognition of the pivotal role they play in various spheres of development. Women are the mothers of the world, they risk and carry a pregnancy for full nine months and go through the pains of childbirth. Women also nurture us.

Despite the risk associated with pregnancy and the labour pains they go through, pregnancy and childbirth are celebrated around the world. As part of this year's International Women's Day celebration, Ms Brigid McConville-Media Director at White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood has collected all these wonderful experiences of pregnancy and childbirth around the world including ‪#‎Uganda‬ in a new book ‪#‎BecomingaMother‬. A copy of this wonderful book can be ordered at: https://www.oneworld-publications.com/books/brigid-mcconville/on-becoming-a-mother.

In line with UN theme for 2014 IWD "Equality for Women is Progress for All," proceeds from the book (Becoming a Mother) will support the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood work towards making pregnancy and childbirth safer for all women regardless of where they live, social or income status.

This year's IWD celebration is aimed at highlighting the importance of achieving equality for women. White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood Uganda highly considers access to life-saving care services for all pregnant women and newborns as a matter of fairness, a right to healthcare and life.

We call on our government and leaders for more action to accelerate progress towards improving maternal health (MDG5) more especially to ensure that comprehensive emergency obstetric and newborn care (CEmONC) increases in health centres IV from 17% to 50% and that basic emergency obstetric and newborn care services are available in all health centres to avert maternal and neonatal deaths as you promised.

The Time is NOW, the DEADLINE for MDGs is Next Year (2015) #ActNowToSaveMothers

Happy International Women's Day celebrations!