Supervisors of midwives as human rights defenders

A 'human rights defender' is a term used to describe people who, individually or with others, act to promote or protect human rights (United Nations General Assembly, 1999). The right to health is a human right. Although predating the Declaration of Human Rights and the right to health, the statutory framework of supervision can easily be aligned to the right to health. Supervisors of Midwives (SoMs) are specifically appointed to protect women and babies, ensure maternity services respond to the needs of women, and ensure that midwives provide a high standard of care. Therefore, in the area of childbirth SoMs perform a role similar to that of a human rights defender.