Advocacy
| Advocacy is central
to building individual, community and global awareness of obstetric fistula and
its devastating impact of the lives of millions of women. Work with media and donors helps to bring the
stories of women living with fistula to a broader audience. In addition, advocacy is an important tool to
reach health and development professionals working in the arena of sexual and
reproductive health. Another important
aspect of advocacy work is the provision of assistance to countries that want to
build capacity for advocacy around maternal health, utilizing obstetric fistula
as an example - particularly by raising the voices of women affected by fistula. The listed resources provide information
about work in this area. |
Living Testimony Posted by Administrator
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Dispatch: Tracking progress in the Campaign to End Fistula Posted by Administrator  December 2007 - A biannual newsletter featuring recent developments in the Campaign to End Fistula. This special issue features profiles for each of the six fistula survivors that attended the October 2007 Women Deliver conference.Languages: English Past issues can be found at: www.endfistula.org |
Executive Summary of Lancet Sexual and Reproductive Health Series Posted by Beverley Kerr  2006, The Lancet. This publication serves as an evidence-based advocacy and research tool on preventable illness and death. The Lancet Sexual and Reproductive Health Series aims to stimulate awareness and action among decision makers, policymakers, medical researchers and other professionals on emerging and significant SRH issues.
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Supporting efforts to end obstetric fistula, (A/C.3/62/L.21/Rev.1) Posted by Administrator  November 2007, United Nations General Assembly, Third Committee - The Third Committee of the UN General Assembly adopted by consensus a resolution on obstetric fistula in November. A total of 137 countries cosponsored the resolution, 118 of which are listed by name on the resolution. This is the first time ever that such a resolution was presented to the General Assembly and Member States on the whole were very supportive of this initiative, referring to it as "a noble cause".Language: English |
Neglected No More Posted by Administrator  UNFPA, 2007. This brochure summarizes the goals, strategies and results of UNFPA's efforts in the Campaign to End Fistula. The campaign seeks to make obstetric fistula, a devastating injury of childbirth, as rare in Asia and Africa as it is in the developed world today.Languages: English |
Johannesburg Call to Action to Make Motherhood Safer by Addressing Obstetric Fistula Posted by Administrator  October
2005 - Participants of the Johannesburg
Meeting to Make Motherhood Safer by Addressing Obstetric Fistula, including
over 100 senior officials of ministries of health, international agencies, and
non-governmental organizations (NGOs), urge governments of Africa - in
particular ministries of health, women’s affairs, education and finance - to
urgently address the issue of obstetric fistula and maternal health. |
Obstetric Fistula: Ending the Silence, Easing the Suffering Posted by Administrator  INFO Report No.2, 2004 - Johns Hopkins
Bloomberg School of Public Health
A brief review of research on obstetric fistula, including ongoing efforts. Languages: English , French
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2007, Family Care International and UNFPA: The advocacy publication Living Testimony: Obstetric Fistula and Inequities in Maternal Health highlights social, cultural, and economic dimensions of obstetric fistula by presenting key findings of 31 country-level needs assessments conducted in 29 countries in Africa, Asia, and the Arab states from 2003 to 2006. This publication provides guidance for policy makers, programmers, and researchers working to strengthen fistula prevention and treatment programmes. FCI and UNFPA will produce an advocacy and program toolkit (CD-ROM) to provide guidance on how to strategically use the publication's findings in media-based awareness campaigns, with parliamentarians, decision makers, and service providers.
Advocates Speak at the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations Posted by Katherine  July 2009, Geneva- Fistula survivors have gained global recognition as powerful advocates for maternal and reproductive health. UNFPA and partner organizations have worked with fistula advocates in a variety of settings including panel discussions, speaking engagements, and congressional testimony. Most recently, Sarah Omega Kidangasi, a fistula survivor and maternal health advocate from Kenya, brought her personal story and powerful message before the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations. "I speak with conviction, passion and emotion, on maternal health because every woman has a right to live, laugh and live again". - Sarah Kidangasi, Fistula Survivor and Advocate (pictured right, photo: United Nations / Jess Hoffman)
Ms. Imbruglia participated in the High Level Segment of ECOSOC where she urged participants to make fistula a thing of the past.
“Obstetric fistula was eliminated here in Europe and the United States more than 100 years ago. It's unacceptable that women and girls in developing countries are still suffering from this entirely preventable and treatable condition.”
- Natalie Imbruglia, Virgin Unite ambassador and spokesperson for the Campaign to End Fistula (pictured left, photo: United Nations / Jess Hoffman) |
Sarah Kidangasi was joined at ECOSOC by Natalie Imbruglia, singer, actress and advocate.
