Addressing Obstetric Violence and Racism: Elephant Circle

In December 2023, in coalition with other birth justice and reproductive justice organizations, Birth Justice grantee Elephant Circle launched two tribunals in New York City and Memphis focused on ending obstetric violence and racism. The tribunals served as a space to uplift personal stories of human rights violations and build strategies that connect human rights to the ongoing maternal health crisis.

This first-of-its-kind exercise combined academic research, legal arguments, and personal accounts. Policymakers, hospital administrators, and health insurance managers attended the spaces to ensure that maternal health agencies connected the core of the crisis to human rights issues.