In this statement, Amnesty international welcomes the consensus that effective strategies to eradicate preventable Maternal Mortality and Morbidity must empower women and girls to make decisions about their health. Gender discrimination prevents women and girls from controlling their bodies, lives and reproductive health choices and this has been recognised as an important factor in preventable Maternal Mortality and Morbidity. Yet, to date, insufficient efforts have been made to address gender discrimination, including discriminatory stereotypes and attitudes towards women and girls that result in high rates of preventable Maternal Mortality and Morbidity.
