Human Rights Law Network

This photo exhibition, organised by Human Rights Law Network (HRLN), reveals the untold stories and daily toils of the most marginalised and vulnerable of India’s population; ‘the forgotten people’. It pays tribute to the thousands of Indian woman and girls who have lost their lives during pregnancy, and to the women who continue to suffer from a pregnancy related illness or disability.

The photographs, taken by social activists, provide an entry point into the lives, struggles and determination of people to live with dignity in India. Maternal mortality is not a human rights violation that occurs in isolation, rather it is the culmination of a multitude of rights denials which include: poverty, illiteracy, malnutrition, anaemia, child marriage and discrimination faced by marginalized/historically vulnerable groups, which is reflected in the disproportionately high levels of maternal deaths from the Scheduled Caste and Schedule Tribal community and young women under the age of 25.

For the last 21-years HRLN has consistently worked to ensure justice and accountability for victims of human rights abuses, by providing pro bono legal aid and empowering communities through legal advocacy and ‘know your rights materials’.

Photographic Exhibition Official Launch: 21st May at 6:30 p.m.
(Runs till the 28th May 2010)
Venue: Alliance Française de Delhi, Art Gallery, 72 Lodi Estate, New Delhi

Check the Venue location on Google Map

RSVP
Marta Kasztelan
Human Rights Law Network
576 Masjid Road
Jangpura, New Delhi
0091 11 2437 4501 ext 221
www.hrln.org
kasztelan.marta@gmail.com

In a ground breaking judgment postively impacting the Reproductive Rights of millions of women in India, Justice Muralidhar, Delhi High Court sought accountability for India's shamefully high levels of maternal deaths and maternal morbidity, ironically on International Women's Day.

Hearing two cases of Reproductive Rights violations, advocated by the Human Rights Law Network - Laxmi Mandal v NCT Delhi & Ors W.P. (c) 8853/2008, the victim Shanti Devi, a scheduled caste woman, living below the poverty line, was denied her reproductive rights and tragically lost her life minutes after she gave birth to a premature newborn; and in Jatuin v MCD Maternity Home MCD & Ors 10700/2009 involving a poor, homeless, young woman, after being denied emergency obstetric care was forced to publicly deliver her newborn child under a tree, minutes from India gate.

''The broad issues in these petitions are concerned with the reproductive rights of health as well as the rights of the newly born free treatment and care in government medical facilities essentially on the ground that they are persons below the poverty line. From what has transpired in these cases thus far it is plain that there are some schemes formulated by both the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi ('GNCTD') as well as the Central Government to address the issues. However, there appear to be no operation guidelines issued that can actually facilitate the accessing of free medical care by expectant mothers and the newly born babies, belonging to the below the poverty line category.

These petitions also raise a larger question as to the question as to the availability of free treatment and care anywhere in the country where these persons may be compelled to move due to some reason or the other. In other words, the Union of India will have to come out with a set of instruction,

in co-ordination with GNCTD in the instant care, to ensure that the entitlements to free medical treatment and care of persons below the poverty line is not denied merely on account of their having to move away.'' Said Justice S Muralidhar

Justice Muralidhar further directed the highly esteemed Doctor Prakasamma, Executive Director of the Academy of Nursing Studies and Women's Empowerment Research Studies to conduct a 'maternal audit with respect to the death of Shanti Devi. 'The remit of Dr M. Prakasamma will include examining the circumstances under which initially Shanti Devi, when she was admitted to Sanjay Gandhi Hospital (Delhi) on 19th November 2008, was found to be carrying a dead foetus and the events subsequent.'

For further information, please contact Jameen Kaur jameen.kaur@hrln.org

HRLN website www.hrln.org

Photos attached:

No. 44 Kishan Mandal husband of Shanti Devi (maternal death) with his premature newborn daughter