Thursday 25^th March 2010, 615pm. at The Commonwealth Club, 25 Northumberland Avenue, London WC2N 5AP

In Sierra Leone, a country recovering from a brutal 11-year civil war, women are striving to reclaim their rights. Many still battle against immense hardship and despair. Photographer Lee Karen Stow has documented their struggle in 42 stunning images, symbolising the women’s life expectancy of 42 years. Her exhibition will hang in the Royal Commonwealth Society’s headquarters, the Commonwealth Club, until 30 April.

To formally open the exhibition, the RCS is working with Amnesty International UK to host an event with keynote speaker, Professor Paul Hunt. A human rights lawyer and former UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health, Professor Hunt will explore some of the issues raised by the photography exhibition and the recently published ‘Manifesto for Motherhood’.

The Manifesto is a collaborative effort to increase political and financial support for maternal, newborn and child health, particularly in developing countries. Its publication marked a starting point for campaigning against the unacceptable numbers of deaths in pregnancy in the run up to the UK general election.

Dr Danny Sriskandarajah, Director of the Royal Commonwealth Society, said: “Only six hours flying from the UK, the life expectancy of women in Sierra Leone is halved.  60 per cent of all maternal deaths and 40 per cent of infant deaths take place in the Commonwealth. This tragic situation demands our urgent attention and we hope that we can play a small part in highlighting these important issues.”

Kate Allen, Director of Amnesty International UK, said: “In Sierra Leone one in eight women risks dying during pregnancy or childbirth. Tragically, this is one of the highest maternal death rates in the world.

Giving birth to a child should be a blessing, not a death sentence. Every woman has the right to decent healthcare, no matter what country she’s from.

Amnesty is campaigning for governments to recognise that maternal health is a basic human right, one which barriers like poverty and discrimination can stop women accessing. We’re also calling on wealthy donor countries like the UK to ensure that maternal health is given the priority it deserves in development funding. Women have the right to services and information that could save their lives and those of their children.”

Lee Karen Stow said: “The statistics of women around the world dying unnecessarily are horrifying. But sometimes it’s hard to get our heads around numbers. I hope my images shed light on this gross injustice by putting a human face to the problem. To show that beautiful, talented, courageous and spirited women are being denied the chance to live a long, healthy life.’’

Professor Paul Hunt said: “Preventable maternal mortality is a human rights catastrophe on a scale that dwarfs other human rights issues such as 'disappearances' and the death penalty. A hugely important challenge for both developed and developing states, maternal mortality implicates women's rights to life, health, equality and non-discrimination. We know what has to be done - we know what medical interventions are needed. Now we must hold those in authority accountable to ensure they are doing all they can to respect women's human rights - and save their lives.”

 Notes to Editors

The Royal Commonwealth Society: Founded in 1868, the RCS conducts a range of events and activities aimed at promoting international understanding. These include educational, youth and cultural programmes, including one of the world’s oldest and largest schools essay competitions, and an innovative international youth leadership programme. HM Queen Elizabeth II is Patron and Peter Kellner is Chairman. Headquartered at the Commonwealth Club in London, the RCS has some 5000 members in the UK and a presence in 40 Commonwealth countries through a network of branches and Commonwealth societies. The RCS is a registered charity in England & Wales (226748) See www.thercs.org

The Commonwealth: The modern Commonwealth was established with 8 members in 1949. In 2010, it has 54 members with a total population of nearly 2 billion. It is an association of governments and peoples, built around shared language, institutions, challenges, aspirations and values. The Commonwealth promotes democracy, development, and diversity within its member countries and across the world.

Amnesty International is a worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognised human rights to be respected and protected.  Its vision is for every person to enjoy all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards.

A Manifesto for Motherhood is a collaborative effort to increase political and financial support for maternal, newborn and child health and survival, particularly in developing countries, particularly in developing countries.

Lee Karen Stow: Over the last three years British photojournalist, Lee Karen Stow, has made independent and mostly self-funded field visits to Sierra Leone, West Africa, to stay with the women in their homes and document their lives through photography and writing. The project '42' is an evolving series of 42 images reflecting the life expectancy of around 42 for women in that country. In 2008, Stow herself turned 42 and realised she has double the chance of a long, healthy life purely because she lives in the West. Affected by this gross injustice she made a commitment to raise awareness of the resilience, spirit and beauty of women in one of the world's poorest countries in the hope that they will receive the respect and attention they deserve. ‘42’ has so far been shown in the UK, Poland, West Africa and USA and has been supported by Arts Council England, the British Council, Rotary, and now the Royal Commonwealth Society and Amnesty International UK. www.leekarenstow.com

Professor Paul Hunt: A national of New Zealand and the UK, Paul Hunt served as the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to the highest attainable standard of health between 2002 and 2008. As Special Rapporteur, he focussed in particular on poverty, discrimination and the right to health. One of his key recurrent issues was maternal mortality. An independent expert, he undertook country missions and submitted some thirty reports to the UN General Assembly and UN Human Rights Council, including on sexual and reproductive health rights and maternal mortality. Paul is a Professor at the Human Rights Centre, Essex University, UK, and Adjunct Professor at Waikato University, New Zealand.

Contacts:

For all media enquiries, please contact Joanna Bennett on +44 (0) 20 7766 9230/ joanna.bennett@thercs.org. Joanna Bennett
Communications Manager

The Royal Commonwealth Society

Tel: +44 (0)20 7766 9230
Fax: +44 (0)20 7930 9705
www.thercs.org