Dear team,

A Hawai‘i law is preventing pregnant people from receiving care from trusted, skilled midwives, and we’re fighting back.

Hawaiʻi, like the rest of the United States, is in the midst of a maternal health crisis—and we’re fighting to expand options for maternal health care. Will you contribute now and support our efforts to expand reproductive health care access?

The Center for Reproductive Rights and Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation filed a lawsuit last week in Hawai‘i on behalf of nine plaintiffs—including midwives, student midwives, and women who are pregnant or plan to become pregnant and grow their families.

As a result of Hawaii’s restrictive law, essentially anyone providing information and care during pregnancy, birth, or postpartum—including midwives, a broad range of other birth workers such as doulas, and even family members—now risks imprisonment and fines.

The law has been particularly devastating for Native Hawaiian midwives and families of color, who are already facing a shortage of care in their communities, inequitable treatment in the health care system, and preventable deaths and illnesses during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. According to the Centers for Disease Control, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander people have the highest rates of pregnancy related death in the United States.

The solution to maternal health inequities is more reproductive autonomy, not less. We'll need you in this fight as we work to defend reproductive autonomy rights for all.

In solidarity,

Hillary Schneller
Senior Staff Attorney