The Unite for Women campaign was launched by IPPF Member Association, RFSU (Sweden) to give focus to maternal mortality is a huge success that culminated with the biggest pram manifestation in the world on the 8th of March. The campaign has used social media primarily, virals and PR to increase awareness on the issues. One famous person each day during a month has bloged on the campaign site about their feelings and thoughts about childbearing, delivery, abortion and parenthood, as well as additional bloggers from Zambia giving another perspective. Media, bloggers and twitter have made people aware of the campaign. The message have been spread at cafées, on cafe latte mugs, and other meeting points for parents.
The message has been "Take space with your pram for a good cause on the 8th".
The campaign culminated on International Women’s day 8 March when people with prams marched together to show solidarity and support to all the women all over the world who have not had the same possibilities to choose a pregnancy and access safe maternal health care as mothers in Sweden.
More than 600 people, with and without prams, men and women, marched on the streets. RFSU handed over a list of demands to the Minister of Development Cooperation Gunilla Carlsson. Two famous Swedish artists perfomed. The minister said that such a massive support for maternal health was helpful for her in her dialogue with other political leaders. Huge cover in TV, radio and print media for the manifestation. See below for pictures, demands and a few links.
The pram was the campign symbol for Swedish women´s right to contraception, abortion, maternal care, kindegarden etc.
Åsa Regner, secretary general RFSU says - We want to make International Women’s Day to a political day that is characterized by solidarity with women of the world. When any woman, irrespective of where she lives, finds out she is pregnant her first thoughts should not be about fear and death.
RFSU demands that the Swedish government actively and publicly works to ensure:
1. That the problem of maternal death is a priority issue for all political leaders of the world and not only an issue for development cooperation.
2. That leaders of the rich world secure the additional 10 dollars per OECD citizen needed in order to decrease maternal mortality with 70 per cent.
3 That it its a pressing global issue that unsafe abortions results in the death of women and that the right to choose an abortion is a human right.
4. That countries that receives Swedish development aid should have an action plan to decrease maternal health, a plan that includes access to contraceptives, information, safe abortion and obstetric care.
The campaign site: www.uniteforwomen.se
One of the virals, spread via Facebook etc:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYW9PHjHMwo&NR=1
The group WeHaveLove made a song
Stand Up:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySKAijo85dk
Some bloggers:
http://wirdheiminvilanova.blogspot.com/2010/03/join-ngo-rfsus-campaigns-against.html
http://www.dn.se/blogg/epstein/2010/03/08/barnvagnsmarsch-mot-modradodlighet-6634
Some of the TV
http://svtplay.se/v/1919504/barnvagnsmarsch_for_modravard