Start with Her: Championing Women's Rights and Choices High-Level Panel on Reproductive, Maternal & Newborn Health & Wellbeing - Remarks by UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem

Welcome, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, partners and colleagues,

Thank you for being here and standing united with UNFPA in turbulent times.

Maternal mortality is one of the most avoidable injustices in our societies and one of the most profound inequities of this generation.

Childbirth is part of the fundamental rhythm of life. It should be an empowering and affirming experience, a celebration of life's incredible promise.

Yet for far too many women, the journey to motherhood is dangerous, even deadly. In the next two minutes, another woman will have died during pregnancy or childbirth. Let that sink in for a moment.

A woman who could have lived – should have lived – will perish. A newborn will lose a mother they will never meet. A family and community will be shattered. A preventable tragedy will ripple through society as a whole.

We are failing women during the most vulnerable and transformative moments of their lives. And we are failing some much more than others.

More than two-thirds of maternal deaths occur in Africa.

This means that an African woman with pregnancy and childbirth complications is 130 times more likely to die than a woman in Europe or North America. 

This blatant inequality is unacceptable. And it’s why we gather here today. 

We have seen what is possible when the international community galvanizes to save women’s lives.

During the Millennium Development Goals era, from 2000 to 2015, global maternal mortality fell by 34 percent. 

We made real progress. We were all hopeful.

Then came a sobering reality check: Five years into the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), maternal mortality barely declined, if at all. 

Today, we are dangerously off track in achieving the SDG target to reduce the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) to less than 70 per 100 000 live births.

If the current pace persists, more than one million women will die during pregnancy and childbirth between now and 2030.

We cannot simply stand by and let this happen. 

For moral reasons, of course, and also for the health and prosperity of communities, entire countries and regions – for the future of sustainable development.

Now is the time for decisive action, for investment in what works. 

Tackling maternal and newborn deaths is no mystery: increase access to quality reproductive, maternal, and newborn healthcare; build resilient, integrated health systems; and strengthen the health workforce. 

Investing in the health workforce means investing in women.

Because let’s not forget who stands on the frontlines in every community – women, often midwives, the unsung heroes of healthcare. 

They may be unsung, but they are not unseen.

Midwives are embedded in every community, providing care with care to women like Aicha in Cameroon.

When massive flooding engulfed her family’s farm, forcing them to flee, Aicha was nearing the end of her pregnancy and terrified for her baby and for herself. She was able to give birth with the assistance of a midwife deployed by UNFPA. 

“My baby was born surrounded by care, when I had nothing – no money, no possessions,” she told us.

Midwives are a source of steady support and can deliver 90 percent of all sexual and reproductive health services, including maternal and newborn care.

Yet they remain undervalued and under-resourced. 

Among the barriers to strengthening midwifery care are persistent gender norms that deprioritize women’s healthcare and that devalue the contributions of the world’s largely female midwifery workforce.

As part of the Every Woman Every Newborn Everywhere partnership, UNFPA is working with partners, including the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), WHO and UNICEF, to close the gap of nearly one million midwives. 

Every woman and newborn should have access to the life-saving care they need and deserve. With determination, investment and action, we can turn the tide.

Today, change is in the air and that change starts with her.

Start with Her is not just a slogan; it's the driving force behind UNFPA’s new Reproductive, Maternal and Newborn Health and Well-Being Strategy, which outlines our approach to ending preventable maternal deaths.  

It’s about championing women’s rights and choices and putting them front and center in everything we do. 

This is a call to action to:

• Prioritize and commit to the funds, financing and policies that protect reproductive, maternal and newborn health.
• Strengthen health systems with investment in midwives, expanded coverage and improved quality of obstetric and newborn care.
• Leverage data to drive impact and reach those furthest behind;
• Empower women and girls to make informed decisions about their own bodies and futures.

We want every woman and newborn to survive and thrive. This is our promise, and this is how we drive progress.

With 2030 around the corner, this is how we can make an immediate and tangible impact, and create lasting change.

There is no doubt that we face a challenging global landscape. 

Protracted conflicts. Climate-induced disasters. Economic headwinds. Growing polarization. Needs are surging while resources and political will are under threat.

Yet, we have also have a critical window of opportunity. 

Last year, the 2024 World Health Assembly passed a resolution on maternal and child health championed by the government of Somalia.

This year, the High-Level Political Forum will review SDG3 and the 58th Session of the Commission on Population and Development will focus on health for all.

Meanwhile, President Ramaphosa of South Africa is currently chairing the Global Leaders Network for Women, Children, and Adolescent Health, which includes nine heads of State.

All are vital platforms for Member States to reaffirm their commitment to reproductive and maternal health. 

This is the moment to set aside differences and identify common ground. 

Preserving the life and dignity of women and girls is surely something we can all agree on, regardless of politics or ideology. 

No one wants women and babies to die in childbirth, or to have their futures derailed by substandard health services.

Yet reducing maternal mortality requires political will. Governments hold the power to enact policies, allocate resources, and build stronger health systems. 

We have the instruments at our disposal. What we need is a seismic shift towards investment that is aligned with the outcomes we all want to see. 

With the wind in our sails, and with your partnership, UNFPA believes that we can and will bring meaningful change in the lives of women and girls everywhere.

To our Member States here today, I ask you to prioritize reproductive, maternal and newborn health and set clear targets in line with the SDGs.

Commit the resources and back them up with accountability systems.

Together with all our partners, let’s strengthen health systems, empower women, and eliminate the inequities that are fueling this crisis.

This is not the time to resign ourselves to the status quo. 

There is a proverb: "The dripping water wears away the stone."

If we push forward steadily and with intention, we can overcome the obstacles in front of us and spark that sea change.

Let us Start with Her and stand with her to increase her access to lifesaving healthcare, to respect and value her precious life, to support her safety and dignity, for her health and for the health and wellbeing of all.