Conclusion : keeping the canary singing into the future

The epidemic of mistreatment during childbirth in health facilities has finally attracted the attention of researchers, the World Health Organisation and non-governmental organisations. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights makes just one indirect reference to women in their capacity as mothers. Safe Motherhood For All and the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood state that ‘motherhood is a social justice and human rights issue’. In 1981, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women was introduced to protect women’s rights within political, civil, cultural, economic and social life, but made no reference to maternal rights or the specific rights of women as mothers. In 1993, Article 2 of the International Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women recognised the right of women to be free of violence in a number of settings, but makes no mention of violence in medical facilities.