Choose To Challenge
by Ngozi Osuagwu, MD | March 7th, 2021
I remember a patient asking me what I was going to do to make sure that she was not a statistic. She knew that Black women were 3 – 4 times more likely to die from pregnancy related complications than White women and Black women were also 3 – 4 times more likely to suffer from a severe disability resulting from childbirth than White women. She was five months pregnant and she was concerned. I told her that I would give her my best to make sure that she was not a statistic.
March 8th is International Women’s Day (IWD). This year’s theme is ‘Choose To Challenge’. It is a day to challenge gender stereotypes and bias. It is a time to call out gendered actions and assumptions. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality. According to IWD, a challenged world is an alert world. And from challenge comes change. If you have a chance, please click here to listen to Anisa Nandaula, a spoken word poet who reminds us of what it truly means to ‘Choose To Challenge’.
There are so many ways to ‘Choose To Challenge’ and the hope is that we will continue until we achieve equity regardless of gender or race. For my patient, I ‘Choose To Challenge’ to make sure she is not a statistic. Every time you read a blog on this website and share the information, you have chosen to ‘Choose To Challenge’.
HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
#IWD2021
#ChooseToChallenge
