Maternal Health and Human Rights

More than two women die every day in the USA from complications of pregnancy and childbirth. Approximately half of these deaths could be prevented if maternal health care were available, accessible and of good quality for all women in the USA.

A safe pregnancy is a human right for every woman regardless of race or income. Call on The Secretary of Health and Human Services to create an Office of Maternal Health.

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Maternal mortality ratios have increased from 6.6 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1987 to 13.3 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2006. While some of the recorded increase is due to improved data collection, the fact remains that maternal mortality ratios have risen significantly.

The USA spends more than any other country on health care, and more on maternal health than any other type of hospital care. Despite this, women in the USA have a higher risk of dying of pregnancy-related complications than those in 40 other countries. For example, the likelihood of a woman dying in childbirth in the USA is five times greater than in Greece, four times greater than in Germany, and three times greater than in Spain.

African-American women are nearly four times more likely to die of pregnancy-related complications than white women. These rates and disparities have not improved in more than 20 years.

Maternal deaths are only the tip of the iceberg. During 2004 and 2005, more than 68,000 women nearly died in childbirth in the USA. Each year, 1.7 million women suffer a complication that has an adverse effect on their health.

This is not just a public health emergency - it is a human rights crisis. Women in the USA face a range of obstacles in obtaining the services they need. The health care system suffers from multiple failures: discrimination; financial, bureaucratic and language barriers to care; lack of information about maternal care and family planning options; lack of active participation in care decisions; inadequate staffing and quality protocols; and a lack of accountability and oversight.

This summary is based on DEADLY DELIVERY: THE MATERNAL HEALTH CARE CRISIS IN THE USA, which contains full citations and should be consulted for further information.

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Pressure Indonesian President to Release Papuan Prisoners of Conscience

Please urge the President of Indonesia to bring about the immediate and unconditional release of Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage. For peacefully raising a flag, Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage may spend the next decade or more in prison in Indonesia. In December 2004, about 200 people participated in a nonviolent ceremony outside Abepura in Papua, Indonesia. Part of the annual ceremony was raising the "Morning Star" flag, a traditional Papuan symbol of independence. Police fired on the crowd and Karma was beaten on the way to the police station. Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage were sentenced to 15 and 10 years respectively. Amnesty International considers Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage to be prisoners of conscience who have been detained for the peaceful and legitimate exercise of their right to freedom of expression.

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Stop Child Offender Executions in Iran

Iran is one of the only countries in the world that still executes children and child offenders. At least 15 child offenders have been executed in Iran in the last two years. On October 16, 2008, The Government of Iran announced an end to this shameful practice, but on October 18 Iran clarified that this directive would not apply to child offenders sentenced to qesas or retribution. The vast majority of the more than 130 juveniles sentenced to death in Iran still face execution.

To learn more about this issue, read Juveniles still to face the noose in Iran. Download this action in PDF or MS Word formats.

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Zimbabwe: Justice for Women

Jenni Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu's lawyers filed a case before the Supreme Court arguing the unconstitutionality of their arrest. The Court heard arguments this June and announced that it would issue a decision later that month, but no written opinion has yet been issued. This lack of action leaves Jenni and Magodonga in legal limbo, though the state is willing to prosecute them as soon as it is able to do so. Williams and Mahlangu appeared before the Magistrate's Court in Bulawayo on October 14, 2009. The trial was once again continued until December 2009, pending the Supreme Court issuance of its written opinion on the constitutionality of their arrests. Meanwhile, Jenni and Magodonga will continue to live under the threat of detention in Zimbabwe's notoriously filthy, cold, overcrowded, and disease-ridden prisons.

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Stand with Suu Kyi

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Myanmar's military rulers have detained Nobel Peace Prize laureate and prisoner of conscience Aung San Suu Kyi for 14 of the last 20 years. Although she is imprisoned, Suu Kyi's message of hope and dignity remains strong. Show your support for her and human rights in Myanmar!

Help us gather at least 2,100 photos to represent the 2,100 political prisoners detained in Myanmar. You can take pictures anywhere - at school, near local landmarks, with community leaders - get creative!

Here's how you can stand with Aung San Suu Kyi:
1. Download our "Stand with Suu Kyi" signs (PDF): 8.5 x 11 11 x 17 14 x 20
2. Photograph yourself and others with the sign.
3. Post your photos to: www.flickr.com/groups/standwithsuukyi
4. Spread the word!
• Use your "Stand with Suu Kyi" picture as your profile picture on Facebook, MySpace or other social networks.
• Send your picture to your Followers on Twitter. Be sure to include the #aungsansuukyi hashtag.
5. Shop for a "Stand with Suu Kyi" t-shirt: http://shop.amnestyusa.org/
6. For more information: umoroz@aiusa.org

Taking action for Haiti

Our hearts go out to all those who have been directly or indirectly affected by the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12. On Friday, the Obama administration granted temporary protected status (TPS) to Haitians in the U.S. - a move that could positively impact up to 100,000 Haitians!

TPS grants a 12 to 18 month grace period to undocumented Haitians living in the U.S., allowing them to live here securely and work safely.

We only hope that President Obama takes his actions one step further by rescinding discriminatory interdiction-at-sea policies. Currently, the U.S. forces Haitians fleeing their country by boat to return to their own shores, without any meaningful review of whether they are eligible for international protection. International law obligates the U.S. not to forcibly return any individual to a situation where he or she is at risk of serious human rights violations.

Thank President Obama for granting TPS and ask him to rescind discriminatory interdiction-at-sea policies.

Haiti through satellite photos