Amnesty International leaders from around the world come will come to Riverside Church in New York City on April 19th to expose the truth about the human rights problem that leads to more than 500,000 deaths a year.

Every minute one woman dies as a consequence of complications during birth or pregnancy. That’s approximately 500,000 women a year, 1 woman every minute of every day. These women do not die of diseases that can’t be treated or complications that can’t be prevented.  To quote Mahmoud Fathalla, past president of the International Federation of Obstetricians and Gynecologists “They die because societies have yet to determine that their lives are worth saving”.

In Sierra Leone, pregnant women and girls are often unable to access lifesaving treatment because they are too poor to pay for it. One in eight women risk dying during pregnancy or childbirth. This is one of the highest maternal death rates in the world. In addition, more than two women die every day in the USA from complications of pregnancy and childbirth. African-American women are nearly four times more likely to die of pregnancy-related complications than white women. These rates and disparities have not improved in more than 20 years.

Amnesty International asks that New Yorkers including Columbia University Students, Faculty and Staff join the discussion about the need to make the rights and lives of girls and women matter!

The event will take place on April 19th, 2010 at Riverside Church located at 490 Riverside Drive New York, NY. The event is open to the public and will include activists and organizations from around the world!

For more information please contact Thenjiwe McHarris at: 212.633.4215/tmcharris@aiusa.org