title: Maternity care and Human Rights: what do women think?
abstract: A human rights approach to maternal health is considered as a useful framework in international efforts to reduce maternal mortality. Although fundamental human rights principles are incorporated into legal and medical frameworks, human rights have to be translated into measurable actions and outcomes. So far, their substantive applications remain unclear. The aim of this study is to explore women's perspectives and experiences of maternal health services through a human rights perspective in Magu District, Tanzania.
  
  
  
  This study is a qualitative exploration of perspectives and experiences of women regarding maternity services in government health facilities. The point of departure is a Human Rights perspective. A total of 36 semi-structured interviews were held with 17 women, between the age of 31 and 63, supplemented with one focus group discussion of a selection of the interviewed women, in three rural villages and the town centre in Magu District. Data analysis was performed using a coding scheme based on four human rights principles: dignity, autonomy, equality and safety.
  
  
  
  Women's experiences of maternal health services reflect several sub-standard care factors relating to violations of multiple human rights principles. Women were aware that substandard care was present and described a range of ways how the services could be delivered that would venerate human rights principles. Prominent themes included: 'being treated well and equal', 'being respected' and 'being given the appropriate information and medical treatment'.
  
  
  
  Women in this rural Tanzanian setting are aware that their experiences of maternity care reflect violations of their basic rights and are able to voice what basic human rights principles mean to them as well as their desired applications in maternal health service provision.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, Institute of Health and Society, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. a.solnesmiltenburg@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Solnes Miltenburg
authors.affiliation: Athena Institute for Research on Innovation and Communication in Health and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, Zanzibar Town, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Fleur
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lambermon
authors.affiliation: Athena Institute for Research on Innovation and Communication in Health and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, Zanzibar Town, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Cees
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hamelink
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Mnazi Mmoja Hospital, Stone Town Zanzibar, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Tarek
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Meguid
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000941:ethics*; D026690:Ethics, Clinical; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006076:Government; D006268:Health Facilities; D006806:Human Rights; D006801:Humans; D008427:Maternal Health Services / Q000941:ethics*; D008428:Maternal Mortality; D008875:Middle Aged; D028723:Personhood; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D013636:Tanzania; D016387:Women's Health
keywords: Dignity; Human rights; Maternal health