fond :: Årets Særlige Pris 2013. Tale af Forkvinde, Tidligere Indenrigs- og Sundhedsminister med flere

Pristale ved Cecilia Virgin

Dear obstetrician and midwife Ágnes Geréb.

We had hoped that it would have been possible for you to be with us here today. We know, that you wanted so much to come.

We have made a poster to tell you, that even if you are not here in person, YOU ARE WITH US AND WE ARE WITH YOU.

Two and a half years – that is 900 days - you have been in house arrest because you have assisted pregnant women to deliver their babies at home instead of at the hospital.

It is so unbelievable and sad that you have been arrested because you believe in women’s right to decide about their own lives, and because you want to do your very best for pregnant women giving them a possibility to deliver outside the hospital.

The Danish midwives and the foundation – A good start in life – want to celebrate your work giving you a Special price as we think you are a special person.

We want to thank you for your persistent and brave work to help pregnant women and their partners to be free to decide where and how to deliver their babies.

We want you to know, that in Denmark we recognize your work supporting women to have a natural, undisturbed birth.

You were the first hospital doctor to stand up for the rights of fathers to be present in the delivery room at birth.

We respect you and your work and we see you as a true pioneer in Hungary. You have followed 3.500 pregnant women in their wish to deliver their babies at home.

It feels good to know that you have two important backing groups to support you. That is the international organization for midwifes and the organization for gynaecologist and obstetricians. They have both made a clear statement that women should have the right to give birth at home.

In fact you have many supporting groups. You have also an active group with the mothers you have helped.

A month ago – on Mothers day - I saw a picture of many women standing outside your window, wanting to give you their love and sympathy. It was so strong and touching for me to see these women wanting to give you hope in your fight for women´s rights.

Now we want you to know, that you have one more supporting group in Denmark sitting here.

We are gathered to thank you for listening to the pregnant women´s wishes.

In our opinion you have helped 3.500 babies giving them a good start in life.

Pristale ved fhv Sundhedsminister (Former Minister of Health) Bertel Haarder.

A few years ago while I was Minister of Interior and Health I attended a celebration for widwives who had assisted women giving birth in their homes. It was arranged by “A good Start in Life” (Cecilia Virgin). It was a moving event because of all the enthusiasm and warm engagement.

We all agreed that in most cases it is certainly advisable to deliver a baby in hospital. But the option to give birth at home in cases where there is no particular danger is essential. It is a human right.

I was therefore chocked to learn that this very simple freedom is not granted in certain countries including the beautiful country Hungary. I´m sad to hear that there is a lack of this essential citizen right, lack of choice.

I´m encouraged by the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights stating the right for women to choose.

I understand that only six licenses for home birth has been issued in Hungary and that the particular midwives have been deprived of their license to assist.

The fact that Agnes Gereb har been under arrest in 900 days is absurd – as it is absurd that she is not allowed to go to Denmark to receive this prize consisting of 20.000 Danish kroner..

So. Agnes Gereb. I hope you can hear us, when this recording is brought to you:

Thank you for your stamina, your courage, your good example. You are one of those who make us understand why the right to choose is so essential.

By the way: I myself and my 5 brothers and sisters were born at home way out in the countryside.

Tale ved Lektor Jette Aarøe Clausen. (Forkortet)

We are gathered here today to celebrate you, your knowledge about physiological birth and your contributions to give Hungarian women a voice in childbirth. It makes me sad to know that the Hungarian court has not allowed you to be here in Copenhagen today. It would have been such a joy and honor to meet you and I would have loved to see you receive your award. This is an award you deserve.

Hungarian women are in need of the option of out-of-hospital birth. Interventions rates are high in Hungarian hospitals. More than one out of three women who give birth in the hospital will have a cesarean section. In some hospitals the C-section rate is higher than 50%. These high intervention rates make women suffer unnecessarily.

"The Freedom of a country can be measured at the freedom for birth." These are your words, Ágnes. They are spoken out of experience.

Many people in Denmark take for granted that midwives are present at birth and they take for granted that women in Denmark have choices in childbirth. They also assume that this is the case all over Europe. They could not be more wrong. You are one of several midwives across Europe who has faced unjust court systems and denied the right to work. I seriously hope that this question will be brought forward and addressed in the European Parliament.

The overuse of medical interventions has made it increasingly difficult for women to achieve a physiological and spontaneous labor. Iatrogenic effects of these interventions are a real and frequent problem in countries across Europe.

There are many families, women and midwives around the world today that salute you and honor your work. I am happy to send greetings from everyone on the HRiC Team. Human Rights in Childbirth is an international NGO that strive to strengthen women’s right in childbirth whereever they are.

If Hungarian women are to benefit from low intervention rates, we hope that independent midwives will be respected and integrated into the health care system. Women cannot exercise their human rights in childbirth without independent midwives and doctors who recognize women’s fundamental rights to have choices in childbirth.

Thank you, Àgnes for all that you gave to make this vision a reality.