women die unnecessary deaths due to a man-made tragedy. half a million women die every year worldwide because our cultures, institutions, and health systems are not responsive to the needs of women during the unavoidable complications of many pregnancies, and childbirths. the science and data are there. maternal mortality can be solved with relative ease and minor costs. however, women end up dead or disabled. families are destroyed. communities affected by their absence.
the numbers for maternal deaths in Latin America are equal to a town loosing all its women every year.
why is it a human rights issue? because states have a responsibility to protect the lives of their citizens... and women are often invisible in their policies with disastrous consequences. women's inability to react, their lack of information, the lack of appropriate health services, and discrimination are responsible for the vanishing of millions.
so for mother's day, i would say that women should count. mothers should count.
celebrate women, mothers, grandmothers, single mothers, girls, and their lives! eat, play, laugh, share, and learn in celebration.
if you want to know more read physicians for human rights' report on maternal mortality in peru in http://physiciansforhumanrights.org or go to the specialized site of Columbia's School of Public Health http://www.amdd.hs.columbia.edu/textonly.html
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