NACPM is inspired and motivated by the work and leadership of CPMs across the nation. Today we highlight a CPM whose voice has been sought out in the urgent campaign for human rights in maternity care. Jennie Joseph (bio below), midwife, educator, and innovator of the JJ Way model for maternity care, is currently en route to the Human Rights in Childbirth Conference being held at The Hague University in the Netherlands on May 31^st and June 1^st. In the wake of the European Court of Human Rights 2010 ruling that women hold a basic human right to choose where and how to give birth, this conference is slated to address some of the most complex and daunting questions in maternity care worldwide:

"Who decides how a baby is born? Who chooses where a birth takes place? Who bears the ultimate responsibility for a birth and its outcome? What are the legal rights of birthing women? What are the responsibilities of doctors, midwives and other caregivers in childbirth? What are the rights and interests of the unborn, and how are they protected?"

(www.humanrightsinchildbirth.com)

Following keynote speaker Ina May Gaskin, CPM, Jennie will present as a panelist alongside Robbie Davis Floyd and others on "Safety, Risks, Costs, and Benefits: Weighing Choices in Childbirth." Per the online program, this panel will "discuss the relationship between statistical and individualized assessments of safety and risk." Jennie, an expert in delivering effective, outcome-altering maternity care to at-risk populations, has been invited to discuss with her fellow panelists the relevance of current data on the relative safety of home versus hospital birth and how this data influences the question of choice in childbirth.

As DC area midwife Claudia Booker, CPM, said regarding Jennie's recognition and achievements, "... the African American Birth workers are busting with pride that one of our own is being honored ... But Jennie does not belong just to us; she and her accomplishments belong to All Of Us - she is our sister midwife, our sister birth worker, our sister champion for saving mothers and babies. We all share in her triumphs." Claudia calls for all midwives to set aside their differences and join together to celebrate the bold and brave leadership of Jennie Joseph as she takes her passion and expertise across the ocean to contribute to this monumental exploration of Childbirth as a Human Right.

Don't miss the opportunity to join Jennie and her colleagues at The Hague by registering to attend the conference via webinar at www.humanrightsinchildbirth.com/webinar!