Advancing women's right-to-health by increasing access the maternal health services in Tenkodogo, Burkina Faso

As an important component of women's rights and ensuring social justice, all women should have access to the quality maternal and newborn health (MNH) services that will allow them the opportunity to safely experience motherhood regardless of their location or socioeconomic status. Ensuring this right would serve to accelerate progress toward achieving Millennium Development Goal 5. During a recent community participatory assessment in Tenkodogo district, Burkina Faso, major barriers to accessing MNH services surfaced. Among them, women are not aware that they have the right to health and quality MNH services. Without this knowledge they cannot demand interventions such as skilled birth attendance and emergency obstetric care required by human international rights law. Another barrier is poor treatment by healthcare providers. Community members reported that women are often not well-received at health centers and that it is not uncommon for them to suffer verbal or physical violence from certain providers. Based on this assessment, Ministry of Health, supported by Enfants du Monde and UNFPA, is planning an awareness campaign to enhance the community's knowledge of women's rights to services, including educational sessions, theatrical performances, home visits and radio emissions in their native language. In addition, they are initiating training for healthcare providers to improve their interpersonal and intercultural skills. These interventions are expected to advance equity in reproductive rights by increasing access to MNH services as underserved women will be empowered to demand their right to these services and be more likely to seek services that they are satisfied with.