THE CRIME OF GIVING BIRTH

Archaeological evidence shows that the first human societies where matriarchal. The reason why women were so respected and revered in those times had to do with the single most amazing fact of life -that of giving birth, bringing another life onto this planet.

This archetypical ceremony, that has been sacred for thousands of years (millions if you take into account the claims for the existence of Homo Trilliensis), with the advent of 'modern' medicine has slowly been stripped of all its intimacy, emotion and ritual, and turned into a cold, lifeless 'procedure' -much like the production line in any modern factory.

For a few decades now, a silent fight has been taking place by women all around the world who are demanding to regain control over this most important experience in their lives. They have to battle state legislation in high-court rooms, that -against all reason and common sense, tell them they don't have a say over the conditions under which they give birth to their children. They have to fight against a corrupt, money-hungry and unethical “HEALTH” industry that puts profit over people and their well-being.

It's an absurd fight, one that resembles the witch hunts of centuries past, it is a fight that deeply scars our collective status as the human race. And unfortunately it isn't victimless either. The most well known case is that of Agnes Gereb, a Hungarian midwife who assisted over 9,000 children to enter this world and is now serving a prison sentence for this “crime” of hers.

The latest episode to this illogical parody, I am sorry to say, is now taking place here in Greece, where 79 people -6 doctors (5 obstetricians and one paediatrician), 3 midwives and 70 parents are being brought to justice for the unspeakable atrocity of 'home birth'!

The charges they are facing are completely unfounded and none of the 79 has been called in for a hearing prior to the court date (11/06/2013). This alone constitutes a major breech of their human right to a fair trial. The indictment basically implies that they are not even the real parents to their children, accusing the doctors of providing false reports about the birth having taken place, and the parents of coercing and abetting them to do so, thus indirectly accusing them of not having given birth to their children but rather acquiring them by different means(!).

The parents together with the midwives are also accused of severe environmental degradation and aesthetic distortion, grave environmental pollution and severe risk to public health with negative impact on the quality of life by burring the placenta at their own back yards, and throwing the rest of the waste in the garbage bins (to which of course there is no evidence). This, in a country where even hospital waste is not treated properly, where garbage forms small mountains on every street corner and where none of the big industry polluters has ever faced justice.

This story has just erupted and I had the (mis)fortune of being one of the first to know as amongst the accused are my sister and a few of my friends who have opted for home births. And as to the accusations of a doctor not being present at least for my sister's case I know for a fact that they aren't true as I was present (assisting the birth with my sound massage bowls).

As a friend said 'this will be the first ever trial for environmental pollution where the environmental organisations will testify for the defence!'

Every day in this country we are the spectators to yet another scene of 'the theatre of the absurd'. Last week we saw the commencement of citizens' abductions and illegal collection of their genetic material by the authorities in the style of the well-known Latin American dictatorships of the 20^th century. Now this.

But I don't despair. Rather I see this as a great opportunity for change. Because by pushing us to the rim the only thing they achieve is to enrage us, to make us overcome our fears and shout “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!”

As this is still very fresh we haven't had time to organise things yet. Having said that, the Green Party of Greece are already planning to bring this matter to the European Parliament and of course we are planning to do a lot more -like launch petitions, and raise a variety of human rights issues stemming from this. This is a great opportunity to push for major changes in legislation regarding home births and the rights of women as mothers. So please join our campaign, get involved and get active. For more information contact me directly, since the team of the accused has not as of yet assigned a spokesperson, and don't wait for the next issue of USM to get an update!

SOURCE : http://www.urbanstylemag.gr/