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WOW2: December 2023 Women Trailblazers and Activists – 12-9 thru 12-16 [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2023-12-09
December 9
, 2020 –
Caroline Criado Perez
, author of Invisible Women, shows how societies being primarily designed by men for men impacts women adversely. She described in harrowing detail how she was forced to deal with a miscarriage without her partner because of restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. After being driven to the maternity unit, she wrote,
“I didn’t expect to have to walk in completely alone, because my partner was not allowed to come in with me – yes, even if you’re bleeding copious red blood and passing clots.” She added, “Try not feeling humiliated bleeding with your pants off in front of strangers while being told that your body has failed in one of its most basic functions, and there is no one in the room to turn to … I keep replaying the moment in my mind. I’ve never felt more vulnerable, I’ve never felt more utterly alone.”
In the UK, one in four pregnancies ends in miscarriage, according to the Miscarriage Association. In a
November survey by the group Pregnant Then Screwed (PTS), 82% of respondents said their local hospital had restrictions in place (for labour or scans), while 90% said these restrictions had a negative impact on their mental health. Of the 5,131 pregnant women who responded, 77% said their hospital’s restrictions prevented their partner attending the duration of labour. Of these, 97% said restrictions increased their anxiety around childbirth. Criado Perez described her dread of going for a scan alone. “The night before the scan I had a panic attack about going through it on my own,” she wrote. “But I also tried to tell myself that these were extraordinary times, that we all had to make sacrifices. Having now been through it and experienced that trauma first hand, I can tell you that the refusal to allow partners to attend scans is inhumane.”
Joeli Brearley, founder of Pregnant Then Screwed, said that throughout the pandemic the needs of pregnant women were ignored. “Pregnancy is such an all-encompassing experience. It can make you feel vulnerable and powerless, particularly when you are told that your baby’s health is in jeopardy,” she said. “How a society protects and supports pregnant women is not only a measure of our humanity, but it is also critical to a well-functioning society …
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