Maternal Death Clock Ticks in Times Square

Yesterday morning, as world leaders began a summit at the United Nations to review progress on the Millennium Development Goals, Amnesty International activists converged on Times Square to launch a “maternal death clock”, keeping track of the number of women who are dying in childbirth worldwide. Decisions made at the summit will have life-or-death consequences.

Every 90 seconds, somewhere in the world, a woman dies in childbirth. That’s 40 women every hour — almost a thousand mothers lost every day. The vast majority of those deaths are preventable. 99% happen in developing countries.

The annual rate of decline is less than half of where it needs to be to meet the MDG target of cutting maternal deaths by 75% by 2015. The fight against maternal mortality — and the fight against poverty — won’t be won until the international community puts human rights at the heart of the struggle.

You can join the Amnesty members who took that message to the streets of Times Square this morning — sign Amnesty’s petition and tell world leaders that poverty is a human rights crisis!

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10 thoughts on “Maternal Death Clock Ticks in Times Square

  1. Unfortunately I am not able to become a member at this time. Once you provide amnesty to all- including those in the womb, I will join. I have great respect for your organization, but find it disappointing that you have taken a pro-abortion stance. I attend many amnesty rallies and support many efforts on your part. However, neither I nor my organization can give monetarily to promote a message of violence against the unborn victims.

    peace Hannah MD Murphy

  2. If you see the truths given here…

    that every 90 seconds a woman is dying in childbirth around the world…

    then woman must FIRST universally have the Sovereign Right TO LIVE, & only THEN, when she can choose her life, is she free to choose when to reproduce it.

    She has the Sovereign Right to life herself — her own !!

    She is not beholden to the beliefs or principles of others living in other conditions, other states & styles of choice.

    Presuming "pro – life" is a choice…. & remains one … a choice for its proponents alone.

    Each life must … for its own survival … decide for itself the hour of its own reproduction.

    If you respect life, respect that right it has … & its decision.

  3. Unfortunately I am not able to become a member at this time. Once you provide amnesty to all- including those in the womb, I will join. I have great respect for your organization, but find it disappointing that you have taken a pro-abortion stance. I attend many amnesty rallies and support many efforts on your part. However, neither I nor my organization can give monetarily to promote a message of violence against the unborn victims.

    peace Hannah MD Murphy

  4. If you see the truths given here…

    that every 90 seconds a woman is dying in childbirth around the world…

    then woman must FIRST universally have the Sovereign Right TO LIVE, & only THEN, when she can choose her life, is she free to choose when to reproduce it.

    She has the Sovereign Right to life herself — her own !!

    She is not beholden to the beliefs or principles of others living in other conditions, other states & styles of choice.

    Presuming “pro – life” is a choice…. & remains one … a choice for its proponents alone.

    Each life must … for its own survival … decide for itself the hour of its own reproduction.

    If you respect life, respect that right it has … & its decision.

  5. In response to a.savage:

    You are 100% correct in that every woman has the sovereign right to decide for herself the hour of her own reproduction. No argument there at all.

    Where I'm sure we disagree, however, is when that choice is made. Sex is designed primarily for producing offspring. That is not debatable if you look at all life forms on earth. We get the added benefit of it also being pleasurable, but that does not change the primary function of sex. Thus, a woman is making that choice to reproduce her own life at the moment she engages in consentual sexual activity.

    Until Amnesty fights for the right of those who are truly the most defenseless among us, then they fight in vain.

    T Johnson

  6. In response to a.savage:

    You are 100% correct in that every woman has the sovereign right to decide for herself the hour of her own reproduction. No argument there at all.

    Where I’m sure we disagree, however, is when that choice is made. Sex is designed primarily for producing offspring. That is not debatable if you look at all life forms on earth. We get the added benefit of it also being pleasurable, but that does not change the primary function of sex. Thus, a woman is making that choice to reproduce her own life at the moment she engages in consentual sexual activity.

    Until Amnesty fights for the right of those who are truly the most defenseless among us, then they fight in vain.

    T Johnson

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