by Lilly Harvey, Bristol Women’s Voice intern
Addressing Racial Disparities in Maternal Healthcare: Insights from Sonah Paton and Black Mothers Matter
On Monday 1 July 2024, as part of the Inspiring Women’s Series hosted by Bristol Women’s Voice, a powerful talk was delivered by Sonah Paton from the organisation Black Mother’s Matter.
Black Mothers Matter, founded by Sonah Paton, Dr. Aisha Davies, and Yomi Oluwatudimu, began as an effort to extend the support they provided each other during pregnancy and early motherhood. Today the organisation is an advocate for Black Women navigating the challenges of motherhood.
Racial biases in healthcare
Sonah’s talk highlighted the urgent and often overlooked issues Black mothers face in mainstream healthcare systems. She revealed that Black women are five times more likely to die during or shortly after childbirth compared to white women.
Sonah, shared her own personal experiences, showing how racial biases in healthcare can affect quality of care. For example, she explained the pressure she felt to dress a certain way at midwifery appointments to avoid negative judgements, showing the broader systemic issues impacting Black mothers and pregnancy.
The discussion also critiqued the limitations of healthcare practices based on white supremacist ideas, such as the outdated use of “healthy pink colour” assessments and BMI metrics designed for white males, which often leads to inaccurate classifications of Black women as overweight.
Working towards change
In their fight for change, Black Mothers Matter has formed a collaboration with the West of England Academic Health and Science Network, BCohCO, Representation Matters, and NHS trusts in Bristol through the Black Maternity Matters Initiative. This initiative combines a deep, long-term anti-racist programme with quality improvement projects for NHS perinatal teams, aiming to create both individual and systemic change.
Additionally, Black Mothers Matter has established community groups like the Bumps and Babies group in Bristol. These groups provide vital mental health and wellbeing support, along with perinatal information tailored to Black mothers, addressing the challenges they face.
However, the event was not only a discussion of issues but also a beacon of hope. Sonah expressed her desire for a better healthcare for future generations and the event featured inspiring stories from women who shared their experiences with racial disparities in the healthcare system.
For further details, or if you want to get involved or need additional support regarding racial disparities in perinatal care, you can find the link to the Black Mother’s Matter website here: https://www.blackmothersmatter.org/
Find our next Inspiring Women Talks here.
