AIHK is hosting a postcard campaign on Mother's Day to urge President Compaoré of Burkina Faso to make sexual and reproductive rights a reality as a means to address the issue of maternal mortality.

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Inquiries: Clara Fok 2300 1250

Date: Saturday, May 8
Time: 1:00pm - 4:00pm
Venue: Outside Metroplaza, Kwai Fong

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Ever year, Mother’s Day is celebrated to honor mothers and motherhood. In Hong Kong, children typically honor their mothers with flowers and a nice lunch. Unfortunately, children in other countries do not have the luxury of spending the special day with their mothers, because maternal mortality is very prevalent in other parts of the world.

“More than half a million women die each year from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth – one every minute." The vast majority of women who die are poor and come from developing countries, such as Burkina Faso, where more than 2,000 women die from complications of pregnancy and childbirth. Women suffer from lack of information on sexual and reproductive health and rights including on abortion, low status in law and social practice permitting early marriages. This undermines their right to decide whether, when and how many children to have, with the high cost and poor quality of medical treatment also posting a major threat.

In 2006 the government adopted a policy to subsidize the cost of maternal care by 80% and to give free healthcare to women in extreme poverty. As a result, the number of trained medical personnel has increased, primary health care centres have been built throughout the country, and a national strategy for family planning has been adopted.

However, these policies still suffer from major flaws in their implementation. Maternal health services are still not available and accessible to all the women who need them. Many women are reluctant to go to health facilities to give birth, since many health facilities are unhygienic and understaffed, with medical personnel often demanding money and treating them disrespectfully.

The high rate of maternal deaths in Burkina Faso show that women are being denied their right to health, a right enshrined in international and national law, a right that every state is obliged to respect, protect and fulfil. When women die in pregnancy or childbirth because the government fails to address preventable causes of maternal death, the government violates women’s right to life.

In light of the upcoming Mother’s Day, AIHK would like to take this opportunity to honor mothers in Burkina Faso, who had to risk their lives to give birth due to the government’s flawed policies in addressing the issue. We strongly urge President Compaoré to urgently adopt and implement a plan in consultation with civil society organizations that would make these rights a reality for all.