The Quilt Project
Did you know…that the
United States ranks behind at least 30 other nations in maternal mortality rates according to the World Health Organization.
In 1996, the United States reported 12 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, up from 8 per 100,000 in 1991.
Did you know…that black women in the United States have 4
times the risk of dying from childbirth or childbirth related complications. Hispanic women in the United States, similarly,
are 1.6 times more likely than non-Hispanic white women to die from pregnancy-related causes.
The
Safe Motherhood Quilt Project is a national effort developed to draw public attention to
the current maternal death rates and to honor those women who have died of pregnancy-related causes during the past twenty
years. The Project was the vision of
Ina May Gaskin, midwifery pioneer and author of the classic book
Spiritual Midwifery, who has been instrumental in bringing this issue to the public light.
The Quilt Project's sponsor is the
Safe Motherhood Initiatives, USA, an organization founded to improve maternal mortality rates in the United States.
The QuiltThe quilt is made up of individually designed squares; each one devoted
to a woman in the U.S. who has died of pregnancy-related causes since 1982. One quilt square is designed and dedicated to
each mother's memory and may mention the date and place of death and the name of the woman. The Safe Motherhood Quilt
is the voice for women who can no longer speak for themselves.
To be honored and remembered on The Safe Motherhood
Quilt:
- The woman died as a result of a complication of pregnancy or birth
- The woman's death occurred since
1982
- The woman died within a calendar year after the end of her pregnancy (documented
by an obituary, death certificate, or relative's account).
Do you know of a woman's
story you'd like to share? Get more information on how to prepare your quilt block and submit it for inclusion in the Safe Motherhood Quilt.
For More Information
The Safe Motherhood Quilt Project
42 The Farm
Summertown TN 38483
inamaygaskin@gmail.com
