This two-hour session at the UNFPA Conference whose theme was “Disinformation, digital technologies and attacks on rights: Understanding and countering anti-SRHR and anti-gender strategies online” was addressed by a list of honourable high-level representatives of their countries, most of whom, however, were men addressing the topic of maternal mortality, and not one of whom mentioned or acknowledged the fact that maternal deaths happen not only when pregnancy was wanted but also when it was not. “No woman dies when giving life” was the slogan that all the men who spoke named as the main issue, and often as the only issue. Abortion was absolutely ignored and was never mentioned, only the deaths of women who were “giving life” were acknowledged. The last speaker, a young woman, talked about lack of resources when and where they are needed, the taking of responsibility when needed, and calling for collective action to prevent all maternal deaths, and was also the call posed by the new head of UNFPA as she closed the session.
One session at UNFPA Conference, 13 April 2026, shown on UN TV, 16 April 2026 in the afternoon, New York time. It is well worth getting onto UN TV and watching other sessions of this event. Summary above by Marge Berer