The miscarriage that changed my life

It is estimated that one in four pregnancies will end in a miscarriage. But despite being a common occurrence, this topic is still shrouded in secrecy, stigma and shame. Kim Chakanetsa meets two women who are using their first-hand experience to help other people heal. Wanjiru Kihusa is a maternal health advocate from Kenya who lost two of her three children through miscarriage. She’s the founder of Still A Mum, a charity offering support to parents who have lost their babies. She also trains health care workers, religious leaders and managers to better support grieving parents. Paula Ávila-Guillen is a human rights lawyer from Colombia and the Executive Director at the Women’s Equality Center, a non-profit based in New York. Since 2014, Paula has been working in El Salvador, a country where a strict abortion ban led to 181 women being imprisoned after having obstetric emergencies – including in cases where they said they had suffered miscarriages or stillbirths. In 2019, Paula had a miscarriage herself – an experience that brought her even closer to the women she works with.

Produced by Alice Gioia

(Image: (L) Paula Ávila-Guillen, credit Pablo Salgado. (R) Wanjiru Kihusa, courtesy Wanjiru Kihusa)