Indra has been on the front line of healthcare justice during the global Covid-19 pandemic, and joins us to discuss essential resources for birth workers and updates.

"National Advocates for Pregnant Women (NAPW) and Birth Rights Bar Association (BRBA) created this resource with the goal of affirming and advocating for the human rights of pregnant people in the United States, as well as to provide some concrete tools for pregnant people, doulas, partners, family members, and friends. This resource was inspired by our work with countless pregnant women, doulas, and other folks offering support to birthing people who had either experienced or witnessed violations during childbirth. Many folks have reached out to us for more information about their rights or the rights of their clients during childbirth, and we have heard resounding feedback from people calling for more advocacy tools both to identify these rights and promote their observance, as well as more accessible information about avenues to address harm after it has occurred."

Indra Wood Lusero, Esq., (Director, President) is a Staff Attorney with National Advocates for Pregnant Women, and Founder of Elephant Circle, a Colorado-based birth justice organization. Indra’s publications include “Challenging Hospital VBAC Bans Through Tort Liability” and “Making the Midwife Impossible: How the Structure of Maternity Care Harms the Practice of Home Birth Midwifery.” Indra went to law school after attending a MANA conference in 2005 where folks lamented not having a “hot shot team of lawyers” who could  help defend midwives. Indra has endeavored to develop just such a team.

Link to the Birth Justice publication
Link to the Elephant Circle Survey on Mistreatment
Opportunity for a Paradigm Shift in Maternity Care - Elephant Circle
Other Elephant Circle resources

How to network with Indra:
@FaceBook
@Birth Rights Bar Website
@Twitter
@Indra's Email
@Elephant Circle Website

People, places and things mentioned on the podcast:
Southern Birth Justice Network
National Black Midwives Alliance
National Association to Advance Black Birth
China Tolliver
Demetra Seriki
Alexis Pauline Gumbs
Cristen Pascucci - Birth Monopoly
Audrey Lorde - Uses of the Erotic
Kiara Bridges, Poverty of Privacy Rights
Childbirth Connections
White Ribbon Alliance