BOLDAustin2007

Conceived by BOLD founder Karen Brody, a BOLD Red Tent is an opportunity for every community to find out about how local mothers are giving birth by hearing directly from mothers. It is also a healing “tent,” where mothers who have had a challenging birth can heal through the telling of their stories. In some communities a BOLD Red Tent will mean setting up a safe, intimate space (a “tent”) where mothers can gather for a few hours to share their birth stories.  All BOLD Red Tents are videotaped with each mother’s permission. This BOLD video tape is then used to lobby three local leaders who can help improve maternity care conditions in the local area.

Maternity care globally is in crisis. Research has found that people tend to remember facts more accurately if they encounter them in a story rather than hearing statistics. If we want people to become educated and “get” the maternity crisis in every community, mothers and their supporters need to tell the story.  BOLD Red Tents are an opportunity to let local mothers speak directly to their community and to leaders and tell them what their maternity care needs are and what they deserve.