Ina May Gaskins Speech at the 2011 Right Livelihood Awards

More information and a text version of the speech are available on: http://www.rightlivelihood.org/inamay_gaskin.html

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Award
• Speech
• Ina
• May
• Gaskin
• 2011
• Right
• Livelihood
• Stockholm
• midwife
• widwivery

[apmarkeldoula]

Ina May, you are an inspiration. What a beautiful speech. Thank you!!!

[grammieK99]

Kudos,Ina May you have made a great differance in many women's lives, mine included. Thank you for all you have done!

[beapauls]

God bless you, Ina May! You delivered an excellent speech. Thank you for working so hard in the movement for birth freedom and safety. Your books helped support me in my preparation for 2 gentle, successful home births, with the excellent, professional, affectionate care of my midwife (and friend).

[DignityRose]

Ina May has encouraged me to have my baby natural and with my support team I did just that. Thank you so much Ina May. You have not only educated me but my husband and my friends. We, as women, should be strong, proud and empowered to love our bodies and know that we can do it.

[floatingclouds]

From women everywhere_thank you! A moving landmark speech and well deserved award. I learned from you when I was a young pregnant woman, thus was able to advocate for myself to have a natural vaginal drug free/technology free birth in a disapproving hospital; and now my daughter in law reads your books while carrying my 1st grandson to be delivered by a midwife in a birthing center. Woo Hoo!

[TheKam180]

I had a unnecessary c- section traumatic experience i want a vbac.

[dairyqueen4128]

She's got it right, people! I had a c/s w/ my first baby (due to placenta rupture), I had my second baby via VBAC w/ an OB and now going for another w/ a midwife. It's a long and hard fight where I live where the public still has the "once a c/s always a c/s" mindset. Homebirth is nearly impossible where I live as well b/c of a shortage of midwives, especially those who'll assist homebirths.

[blynecarriere]

Some of the listeners look unimpressed. People obviously do not know anything about what is going on in the birth community.

LISTEN UP PEOPLE!

You go Ina May!

[timelesswaydoula]

This made me cry in a few places and especially at the end! What an incredible and brave woman to speak the truth so boldly in a room full of bullies. Half of them wouldn't even clap or barely did so and not one stood. :/ Bravo Ina May! Perfectly put. We know to show respect where respect is due... Ina May deserves more respect than most and definitely more than she recieved in that room.

[finishstrongdoc]

"Traditional peoples, indigenous people, don't allow such behavior. We need to learn from them."

[finishstrongdoc]

"Now the profit motive really began to emerge vis a vis birth & fear,greed & ignorance have combined to make a nasty brew as well as a witch hunt against midwives who work according to the rhythms of nature. The belief soon grew that babies would be most safely born when the mother's body was intentionally injured in order to free the baby with a further rationale that such an injury would prevent worse injuries that would otherwise occur."