I had the pleasure of attending the National Advocates for Pregnant Women's first of its kind summit meeting in Atlanta, and I tought I'd pass along this report from NAPW's Lynn Paltrow. (I wasn't the only male attendee, but almost :-)
- Steve
Dear NAPW Friends and Allies:
I am pleased to report that NAPW's National Summit to Ensure the Health and Humanity of Pregnant and Birthing Women, which we held in Atlanta, Georgia this past January 18-21, was a raving success from beginning to end.
The Summit's supporters and attendees represented one of the most diverse gatherings ever to address issues concerning reproductive health and justice. It was co-sponsored by more than 60 organizations ranging from advocates for mother-friendly childbirth to those that advocate for the right to choose an abortion. It brought together over 300 maternal, birthing, and reproductive rights activists along with social justice activists, legal and policy experts, and healthcare providers from 37 states, the District of Columbia, Mexico, and Canada.
Participants moved beyond the divisive abortion debate to find common ground in the experiences of pregnancy and the increasing limitations to care and support that all pregnant and birthing women face. Working together, they identified violations of pregnant and birthing womens civil and human rights and created the basis for formulating an agenda that genuinely values pregnant women, maternal health, and motherhood. Standing together, they demonstrated the collective possibilities of broad-based support for laws and policies that genuinely promote a culture of life — one that includes and values the women who give that life.
Media coverage
Media coverage of the Summit and NAPW's issues was substantial, positive, and appeared in a variety of venues. On the second day of the Summit, the San Francisco Chronicle featured my op-ed, Creating a true culture of life in their Roe v. Wade anniversary roundup.
But the most comprehensive ongoing Summit coverage has come from bloggers, including the six women who received NAPW bloggerships (scholarships) to join us in Atlanta. These bloggers come from all over the United States, collectively reach over 100,000 readers per day, and speak from and to a variety of constituencies and communities. Several other bloggers came on their own steam, and added their voices to a chorus of praise and wonder.*All were united by their shared commitment to advancing reproductive justice and unanimous in their praise for NAPW and the Summit:
I've talked to the other bloggers, and we all just feel lucky to have been at the Summit and to have witnessed what happened there. For a feminist blogger, it just doesn't get better: the content, the connections, and the conversations. I'll be writing about this all year.
(Pamela Merritt at Angry Black Bitch)
I can honestly say that NAPW organized the best feminist conference that I've ever been to.it was more than the great attendees — it was the incredible energy at the conference, the remarkable panelists, and the oh-so-important (and ambitious) vision for reproductive justice that the conference put forward. I mean, damn, just look at the program and you'll see what I mean.
(Jessica Valenti at Feministing)
Join this organization.
Seriously. National Advocates for Pregnant Women is, in my experience, unique — and uniquely well positioned — for this moment in history. It brings together pro-choice organizations, women working in and for birthing and mothering rights, gay and lesbian family activists, advocates for incarcerated and addicted women, academic feminists, grassroots and national organizations for women of color, and other groups to bring into focus our common goals and the common threat to women's autonomy posed by those who want to legislate how, when, why, and where we can (or cannot) be pregnant, and what we can (or cannot) do with our bodies.
. . . They — we — were one of those groups that feminist organizations fantasize about: black, white, Latina, Filipina; old, young, rich-looking, poor-looking; punky young moms ala Hipmama and polished women legislators; hip middle-aged dykes and earthy middle-aged doulas; obstetricians and mothers in recovery from addiction.
And it was the only conference I have ever been to where a plenary session consisted in large part of a series of stories, anecdotes from different women about how they came into being: through politics or parenting, as academics or activists, as workers and as women. There were microphones placed in two or three places in the room, and different women took turns being introduced by Lynn Paltrow, whose baby this organization is, and telling their stories. I've never seen a plenary speaker making the introductions rather than being introduced, or ceding the floor to the subjects of her work. In the most honored and right-on feminist tradition, though, this plenary emphasized subjectivity, and the ways that the work of feminism is subject to the lives of women.
(Tedra at BitchPhD)
The old days of pro-choice and pro-life are so over and new framings about families, women, pregnancy, and dignity are forthcoming. The Summit in Atlanta is a harbinger of these changes and NAPW has positioned itself as an indispensable leader. The conversations will challenge long held post-Roe language and push us into new territory with reproductive rights.
(Lauren at Milby Daniel)
The bloggers posted long and thoughtful commentary on a wide cross-section of panels and speakers. In the great democratizing world of the Internet, this means that many individuals were mentioned by name and their contributions acknowledged and recognized (NAPW staff Matrice Sherman and Wyndi Anderson, and speakers and presenters Tayshea Aiwohi, Miriam Yeung, Mary Barr, Erica Lyon, Loretta Ross, Ina Mae Gaskin, and Dorothy Roberts, just to name a few). The bloggers also addressed a variety of issues, organizations, and communities. And they connected their own constituencies with organizations, events, and scholarship of interest that will ensure ongoing learning and activism.
...doulas who have worked with marginalized communities seem to be really prevalent here, which is wonderful — several of the doulas work with meth-addicted women, a group of women from Washington state are working with incarcerated women, two women mentioned working with undocumented Latina women, one woman mentioned her experience of working as a white woman with native women. Great group.
(Brownfemipower from Women of Color Blog)
Here at this summit that most conservative Democrats would characterize as being some sort of crazy leftist feminist feel-good crap, I saw with my own eyes that NAPW and Lynn Paltrow were able to bring people who are antagonistic to the table not by compromising their views, but by expanding them...here she (Laura Pemberton--personally opposed to abortion, forced by police under court order to have a c-section) was sitting at the table with a bunch of crunchy feminists, queer activists and generally cantankerous pro-choicers (literally, she sat with our little group at lunch one day and was winking at and laughing with some of our more goofily feminist jokes) — not because we had limited our demands for women's rights but because we expanded those demands and the expanded view of what womens rights are was appealing to her. Talk about choice, shes not at the table. Talk about a womans right to self-determination and that means something to her.
(Amanda from Pandagon)
I was overwhelmed when Linda Layne told the stories of her multiple miscarriages (seven or eight, I think). And she's right - we've spent the weekend discussing how to empower women to be more knowledgeable about labor and the choices involved in the birthing process, but no such progress has been made regarding pregnancy loss. Certainly, no pregnant woman wants to consider that possibility. But it is a possibility, and a very real one, if this stat is to be believed, the chance of miscarriage during the first three months of pregnancy is 1 in 5 (?!). And yet no one talks about it. No one offers information on what your body may go through, what options you may have (hospital? emergency room? stay home?). Layne has identified a gap that many, many women fall into, and it's time we started offering them some better resources.
(Megan from Gymno)
Even bloggers who couldn't attend are spreading the word:
The Summit program covered everything from the overbearing and disempowering birthing machine in this country to our cultures rampant fear of birth, from the legal restrictions being placed on VBACs, contraception and abortions to the disturbing rise in fetal rights, where mothers with substance abuse problems are prosecuted for child abuse on behalf of their unborn fetus, instead of being offered the care and treatment they need.and so much more, more, more. I really wish I could have attended! . . .
It's been absolutely fascinating reading the reports and thoughts of many of the bloggers who were able to attend. I've linked to a partial list of the blogs on the Summit, so that you can read for yourself. It's almost as good as being there (although not quite).
(The Student at Belly Tales)
The bloggers engagement with NAPW, the relationships we formed with the organizations that we brought together in Atlanta, and the multiple issues addressed there will continue long past the Summit. Pamela Merritt of Angry Black Bitch is planning on attending SisterSongs Lets Talk About Sex conference in Chicago in May, and has accepted an invite from Donna Haukaas of the Native American Womens Health Education Resource Center to come blog the reservation where she lives in South Dakota.
Two days after Jessica Valenti at Feministing returned from the Summit, she put out a call for any presenters to come guest post at her blog. Jill Morrison, Senior Counsel at the National Womens Law Center, has already responded, and gotten in touch with the other participants on the How Might You Be Prosecuted? panel. NAPWs new Director of Communications, Nancy Goldstein, is working with Jessica to set up guest blogging and interviews with over 30 other Summit presenters, whose work will appear on Feministing throughout the year. She has also arranged for Jamila Akil, a Chicago blogger whose schedule prevented her from attending the Summit, to interview law professor Dorothy Roberts and Guttmacher Institute researcher Rachel K. Jones.
Brownfemipower at Women of Color Blog responded to a reader's plea (please keep the information coming!) with Girl, you know I will!!!"
Participant feedback
Although we have only just begun digging through the stack of evaluations we brought back from the Summit, we have already received dozens of phone calls and emails praising the Summit.
As has been said many times, it was one of the best conferences I have ever attended!
(Loretta J. Ross, SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Health Collective)
Congratulations on organizing a truly groundbreaking Summit!
(Priscilla Huang, National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum)
I just wanted to drop you a note to tell you how wonderful that conference was! There were so many people with such divergent points of view, yet we managed to find some unity amongst us.
(Karen Shain, Legal Services for Prisoners with Children)
The Summit on Health and Humanity of Pregnant and Birthing Woman was simply the best! What a spectacular convening.
(Sharon Gary Smith, Western States Center)
THAT WAS THE MOST AWESOME, BEAUTIFUL, STRONG CONSCIOUSNESS BUILDING, INFORMATION SHARING I have had in a long time. I salute your thinking, efforts, energy, focus, imagination and courage to bring so many folks from so many different backgrounds together...... in peace... with a single focus..the betterment of childbirth... which will save lives, hearts and spirits...
(Maddy Oden, Tatia Oden French Memorial Foundation)
It was an awesome conference. . . Thank you so much for making my dream come true :)
(Freeda Cathcart, Mother's United for Midwifery)
From the extraordinary presentations to the fact sheets in the program packet, the Summit provided people with new information and ideas. There are already many examples of new action, new relationships, new conversations, and expanded thinking. For example, Jessica Arons of the Center for American Progress contributed a piece to a pro-choice blog that brought the issues of unnecessary c-sections into the "mainstream" of the reproductive rights discussion. Dee Ann Newell of the National Coalition to Abolish All Restraints on Pregnant Prisoners in Labor and Childbirth returned to her home state of Arkansas armed with letters from a broad range of new organizations speaking out against an Arkansas bill that would continue policies that permit shackling of pregnant prisoners and that leave the Department of Corrections to determine the if a laboring women is in enough pain to justify removal of the restraints. A critical conversation about hard issues such as the language different groups use — including "choice" and "normal birth" is continuing in full force. And, as we had hoped, Summit participants and bloggers from across the country are acting as issues watchdogs — practically inundating NAPW with news on new arrests and other issues of concern to our organization.
Here at NAPWs New York offices, we have more work to do than ever. January marks the opening of many state legislatures, and once again, bills to control pregnant women — including making it a crime to continue a pregnancy to term in spite of a drug problem — are being introduced. As a result of the Summit, NAPW now has — in addition to all of our ongoing work on behalf of pregnant and parenting women — extraordinary new relationships, new ideas, and new possibilities for affirmative legislative and advocacy work.
Over the next few months we will review all of the evaluations and feedback, develop and distribute this post-Summit report, continue our ongoing states-based grassroots organizing work, and — if funding permits — bring together small subsets of Summit participants to keep new conversations alive and moving towards collective strength and action. We will also be finishing and releasing an unprecedented arrest report that will shed light on the criminalization of pregnancy in the United States from the 1970s to the present time.
We look forward to your support and partnership in these efforts, and thank you again for your commitment and generosity.
Yours truly,
Lynn M. Paltrow
Executive Director
* Amanda Marcotte at Pandagon (Austin, Texas) posts to 35,000 readers per day
Brownfemipower at Women of Color Blog (Ypsilanti, Michigan) posts to 5,000 readers daily
Jessica Valenti at Feministing (New York City, New York) posts to 30,000 readers daily, most of them under 30
Megan Price at Gymno (Atlanta, Georgia) posts to 100 readers per day
Pamela Merritt (Shark Fu) at Angry Black Bitch (St. Louis, Missouri) posts to 5,000 readers daily
Tedra at BitchPhD (Southern California), posts to 25,000 readers daily
Julie Ehrlich at A Bird and a Bottle (New York City, NY) posts to 500 readers daily;
Lauren at Milby Daniel (New York City, NY), a brand-new blog inspired by the Summit, posts to 25 readers daily
- Steve
Dear NAPW Friends and Allies:
I am pleased to report that NAPW's National Summit to Ensure the Health and Humanity of Pregnant and Birthing Women, which we held in Atlanta, Georgia this past January 18-21, was a raving success from beginning to end.
The Summit's supporters and attendees represented one of the most diverse gatherings ever to address issues concerning reproductive health and justice. It was co-sponsored by more than 60 organizations ranging from advocates for mother-friendly childbirth to those that advocate for the right to choose an abortion. It brought together over 300 maternal, birthing, and reproductive rights activists along with social justice activists, legal and policy experts, and healthcare providers from 37 states, the District of Columbia, Mexico, and Canada.
Participants moved beyond the divisive abortion debate to find common ground in the experiences of pregnancy and the increasing limitations to care and support that all pregnant and birthing women face. Working together, they identified violations of pregnant and birthing womens civil and human rights and created the basis for formulating an agenda that genuinely values pregnant women, maternal health, and motherhood. Standing together, they demonstrated the collective possibilities of broad-based support for laws and policies that genuinely promote a culture of life — one that includes and values the women who give that life.
Media coverage
Media coverage of the Summit and NAPW's issues was substantial, positive, and appeared in a variety of venues. On the second day of the Summit, the San Francisco Chronicle featured my op-ed, Creating a true culture of life in their Roe v. Wade anniversary roundup.
But the most comprehensive ongoing Summit coverage has come from bloggers, including the six women who received NAPW bloggerships (scholarships) to join us in Atlanta. These bloggers come from all over the United States, collectively reach over 100,000 readers per day, and speak from and to a variety of constituencies and communities. Several other bloggers came on their own steam, and added their voices to a chorus of praise and wonder.*All were united by their shared commitment to advancing reproductive justice and unanimous in their praise for NAPW and the Summit:
I've talked to the other bloggers, and we all just feel lucky to have been at the Summit and to have witnessed what happened there. For a feminist blogger, it just doesn't get better: the content, the connections, and the conversations. I'll be writing about this all year.
(Pamela Merritt at Angry Black Bitch)
I can honestly say that NAPW organized the best feminist conference that I've ever been to.it was more than the great attendees — it was the incredible energy at the conference, the remarkable panelists, and the oh-so-important (and ambitious) vision for reproductive justice that the conference put forward. I mean, damn, just look at the program and you'll see what I mean.
(Jessica Valenti at Feministing)
Join this organization.
Seriously. National Advocates for Pregnant Women is, in my experience, unique — and uniquely well positioned — for this moment in history. It brings together pro-choice organizations, women working in and for birthing and mothering rights, gay and lesbian family activists, advocates for incarcerated and addicted women, academic feminists, grassroots and national organizations for women of color, and other groups to bring into focus our common goals and the common threat to women's autonomy posed by those who want to legislate how, when, why, and where we can (or cannot) be pregnant, and what we can (or cannot) do with our bodies.
. . . They — we — were one of those groups that feminist organizations fantasize about: black, white, Latina, Filipina; old, young, rich-looking, poor-looking; punky young moms ala Hipmama and polished women legislators; hip middle-aged dykes and earthy middle-aged doulas; obstetricians and mothers in recovery from addiction.
And it was the only conference I have ever been to where a plenary session consisted in large part of a series of stories, anecdotes from different women about how they came into being: through politics or parenting, as academics or activists, as workers and as women. There were microphones placed in two or three places in the room, and different women took turns being introduced by Lynn Paltrow, whose baby this organization is, and telling their stories. I've never seen a plenary speaker making the introductions rather than being introduced, or ceding the floor to the subjects of her work. In the most honored and right-on feminist tradition, though, this plenary emphasized subjectivity, and the ways that the work of feminism is subject to the lives of women.
(Tedra at BitchPhD)
The old days of pro-choice and pro-life are so over and new framings about families, women, pregnancy, and dignity are forthcoming. The Summit in Atlanta is a harbinger of these changes and NAPW has positioned itself as an indispensable leader. The conversations will challenge long held post-Roe language and push us into new territory with reproductive rights.
(Lauren at Milby Daniel)
The bloggers posted long and thoughtful commentary on a wide cross-section of panels and speakers. In the great democratizing world of the Internet, this means that many individuals were mentioned by name and their contributions acknowledged and recognized (NAPW staff Matrice Sherman and Wyndi Anderson, and speakers and presenters Tayshea Aiwohi, Miriam Yeung, Mary Barr, Erica Lyon, Loretta Ross, Ina Mae Gaskin, and Dorothy Roberts, just to name a few). The bloggers also addressed a variety of issues, organizations, and communities. And they connected their own constituencies with organizations, events, and scholarship of interest that will ensure ongoing learning and activism.
...doulas who have worked with marginalized communities seem to be really prevalent here, which is wonderful — several of the doulas work with meth-addicted women, a group of women from Washington state are working with incarcerated women, two women mentioned working with undocumented Latina women, one woman mentioned her experience of working as a white woman with native women. Great group.
(Brownfemipower from Women of Color Blog)
Here at this summit that most conservative Democrats would characterize as being some sort of crazy leftist feminist feel-good crap, I saw with my own eyes that NAPW and Lynn Paltrow were able to bring people who are antagonistic to the table not by compromising their views, but by expanding them...here she (Laura Pemberton--personally opposed to abortion, forced by police under court order to have a c-section) was sitting at the table with a bunch of crunchy feminists, queer activists and generally cantankerous pro-choicers (literally, she sat with our little group at lunch one day and was winking at and laughing with some of our more goofily feminist jokes) — not because we had limited our demands for women's rights but because we expanded those demands and the expanded view of what womens rights are was appealing to her. Talk about choice, shes not at the table. Talk about a womans right to self-determination and that means something to her.
(Amanda from Pandagon)
I was overwhelmed when Linda Layne told the stories of her multiple miscarriages (seven or eight, I think). And she's right - we've spent the weekend discussing how to empower women to be more knowledgeable about labor and the choices involved in the birthing process, but no such progress has been made regarding pregnancy loss. Certainly, no pregnant woman wants to consider that possibility. But it is a possibility, and a very real one, if this stat is to be believed, the chance of miscarriage during the first three months of pregnancy is 1 in 5 (?!). And yet no one talks about it. No one offers information on what your body may go through, what options you may have (hospital? emergency room? stay home?). Layne has identified a gap that many, many women fall into, and it's time we started offering them some better resources.
(Megan from Gymno)
Even bloggers who couldn't attend are spreading the word:
The Summit program covered everything from the overbearing and disempowering birthing machine in this country to our cultures rampant fear of birth, from the legal restrictions being placed on VBACs, contraception and abortions to the disturbing rise in fetal rights, where mothers with substance abuse problems are prosecuted for child abuse on behalf of their unborn fetus, instead of being offered the care and treatment they need.and so much more, more, more. I really wish I could have attended! . . .
It's been absolutely fascinating reading the reports and thoughts of many of the bloggers who were able to attend. I've linked to a partial list of the blogs on the Summit, so that you can read for yourself. It's almost as good as being there (although not quite).
(The Student at Belly Tales)
The bloggers engagement with NAPW, the relationships we formed with the organizations that we brought together in Atlanta, and the multiple issues addressed there will continue long past the Summit. Pamela Merritt of Angry Black Bitch is planning on attending SisterSongs Lets Talk About Sex conference in Chicago in May, and has accepted an invite from Donna Haukaas of the Native American Womens Health Education Resource Center to come blog the reservation where she lives in South Dakota.
Two days after Jessica Valenti at Feministing returned from the Summit, she put out a call for any presenters to come guest post at her blog. Jill Morrison, Senior Counsel at the National Womens Law Center, has already responded, and gotten in touch with the other participants on the How Might You Be Prosecuted? panel. NAPWs new Director of Communications, Nancy Goldstein, is working with Jessica to set up guest blogging and interviews with over 30 other Summit presenters, whose work will appear on Feministing throughout the year. She has also arranged for Jamila Akil, a Chicago blogger whose schedule prevented her from attending the Summit, to interview law professor Dorothy Roberts and Guttmacher Institute researcher Rachel K. Jones.
Brownfemipower at Women of Color Blog responded to a reader's plea (please keep the information coming!) with Girl, you know I will!!!"
Participant feedback
Although we have only just begun digging through the stack of evaluations we brought back from the Summit, we have already received dozens of phone calls and emails praising the Summit.
As has been said many times, it was one of the best conferences I have ever attended!
(Loretta J. Ross, SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Health Collective)
Congratulations on organizing a truly groundbreaking Summit!
(Priscilla Huang, National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum)
I just wanted to drop you a note to tell you how wonderful that conference was! There were so many people with such divergent points of view, yet we managed to find some unity amongst us.
(Karen Shain, Legal Services for Prisoners with Children)
The Summit on Health and Humanity of Pregnant and Birthing Woman was simply the best! What a spectacular convening.
(Sharon Gary Smith, Western States Center)
THAT WAS THE MOST AWESOME, BEAUTIFUL, STRONG CONSCIOUSNESS BUILDING, INFORMATION SHARING I have had in a long time. I salute your thinking, efforts, energy, focus, imagination and courage to bring so many folks from so many different backgrounds together...... in peace... with a single focus..the betterment of childbirth... which will save lives, hearts and spirits...
(Maddy Oden, Tatia Oden French Memorial Foundation)
It was an awesome conference. . . Thank you so much for making my dream come true :)
(Freeda Cathcart, Mother's United for Midwifery)
From the extraordinary presentations to the fact sheets in the program packet, the Summit provided people with new information and ideas. There are already many examples of new action, new relationships, new conversations, and expanded thinking. For example, Jessica Arons of the Center for American Progress contributed a piece to a pro-choice blog that brought the issues of unnecessary c-sections into the "mainstream" of the reproductive rights discussion. Dee Ann Newell of the National Coalition to Abolish All Restraints on Pregnant Prisoners in Labor and Childbirth returned to her home state of Arkansas armed with letters from a broad range of new organizations speaking out against an Arkansas bill that would continue policies that permit shackling of pregnant prisoners and that leave the Department of Corrections to determine the if a laboring women is in enough pain to justify removal of the restraints. A critical conversation about hard issues such as the language different groups use — including "choice" and "normal birth" is continuing in full force. And, as we had hoped, Summit participants and bloggers from across the country are acting as issues watchdogs — practically inundating NAPW with news on new arrests and other issues of concern to our organization.
Here at NAPWs New York offices, we have more work to do than ever. January marks the opening of many state legislatures, and once again, bills to control pregnant women — including making it a crime to continue a pregnancy to term in spite of a drug problem — are being introduced. As a result of the Summit, NAPW now has — in addition to all of our ongoing work on behalf of pregnant and parenting women — extraordinary new relationships, new ideas, and new possibilities for affirmative legislative and advocacy work.
Over the next few months we will review all of the evaluations and feedback, develop and distribute this post-Summit report, continue our ongoing states-based grassroots organizing work, and — if funding permits — bring together small subsets of Summit participants to keep new conversations alive and moving towards collective strength and action. We will also be finishing and releasing an unprecedented arrest report that will shed light on the criminalization of pregnancy in the United States from the 1970s to the present time.
We look forward to your support and partnership in these efforts, and thank you again for your commitment and generosity.
Yours truly,
Lynn M. Paltrow
Executive Director
* Amanda Marcotte at Pandagon (Austin, Texas) posts to 35,000 readers per day
Brownfemipower at Women of Color Blog (Ypsilanti, Michigan) posts to 5,000 readers daily
Jessica Valenti at Feministing (New York City, New York) posts to 30,000 readers daily, most of them under 30
Megan Price at Gymno (Atlanta, Georgia) posts to 100 readers per day
Pamela Merritt (Shark Fu) at Angry Black Bitch (St. Louis, Missouri) posts to 5,000 readers daily
Tedra at BitchPhD (Southern California), posts to 25,000 readers daily
Julie Ehrlich at A Bird and a Bottle (New York City, NY) posts to 500 readers daily;
Lauren at Milby Daniel (New York City, NY), a brand-new blog inspired by the Summit, posts to 25 readers daily
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