Birthrights

Who we are

Birthrights champions respectful care during pregnancy and childbirth by protecting human rights. We provide advice and information to women and birthing people, train doctors and midwives, and campaign to change maternity policy and systems.

Our vision is that everyone receives the respect and dignity they deserve in pregnancy and childbirth. Our mission is to be the authority on human rights in pregnancy and childbirth in the UK and use that influence to improve services and practice throughout the maternity system.

Our culture and values

As a human rights charity, inclusion and anti-discrimination is core to our ethos, and our services are available to everyone who is pregnant, regardless of race, background or how they identify.

We champion the rights of those who face particular discrimination in maternity care – such as disabled people, women experiencing complex disadvantage and people of colour. We are committed to anti-racism and take an intersectional approach to the multiple ways people experience discrimination. Lived experience shapes all we do.

Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

We believe human rights are for everyone. We reject any suggestion that respecting pregnant non-binary and trans people diminishes women’s rights. We will use both ‘women’ and ‘birthing people’ to describe individuals’ experiences and rights in maternity care. 

We want to be an accessible, inclusive and safe space for everyone who needs us. The Board and staff are unanimous in our view that human rights and inclusion go hand in hand, and Birthrights is here to support all pregnant women and birthing people.

We will challenge abusive or discriminatory comments or behaviour that are not in line with our inclusive values. We will not work with individuals and organisations who do not behave respectfully and will always challenge, either privately or publicly if appropriate, those in the maternity and birth rights movement who speak or act in a discriminatory way.

We want to ensure we have a diverse team with a range of lived and professional
experiences. When we recruit, we welcome applications from people of colour, LGBTQ+ people and disabled people and use positive action under the Equality Act 2010 to appoint from these underrepresented groups if two candidates are equally qualified.