Dear Women Everywhere: An Open Letter In Honor Of Women's Equality Day

Hello everyone,

For those that don’t know me, I’m Meghan: Owner of the Cincinnati Birth Center, experienced midwife and doula, and passionate entrepreneur. I wear each of these titles proudly and am honored to have the opportunity to write to you so candidly in this open letter. 

This Thursday, August 26th is National Women’s Equality Day: a day that marks a monumental moment in time in which women overcame adversity, gained the right to vote, and took a stand for gender equality. Today, it acts as both a celebration of all the adversities women have overcome in the sake of equality as well as a reminder of the vast inequalities that still exist today.

I am certainly no stranger to the inequalities that we face as women. As a female, we encounter countless challenges rooted in our gender every single day. Tack on being a female entrepreneur and those challenges begin to multiply. Even moreso, working in this space has opened my eyes to another world of inequalities that women face: maternal care.

When I set out on my journey to become a certified midwife and doula, I had just begun learning about the current inequalities in maternal care and information that pregnant women often face. I realized that many women encounter differences in maternal care depending on their age, rage, and socioeconomic status. I knew early on that I wanted to dedicate my career to helping change that by increasing maternal care options and access to midwives, while improving maternal outcomes.

Right around the time that I began thinking about opening up the Cincinnati Birth Center, I learned about the staggering infant mortality rates facing women of color in Cincinnati, OH. Babies are dying in Cincinnati because they are being born too small and too soon. High amounts of stress in expecting mothers can trigger these birth issues and there's a lot that goes into that, such as lack of affordable housing, food desserts, institutionalized racism, discrimination, lack of opportunities, trauma - the list goes on.

In order for these statistics to change, there needs to be equal access and quality of care for every woman. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s that addressing inequality of all forms starts at the individual level. For instance, each one of us can make a huge difference in reducing stress in our communities. Volunteer in your community garden, attend community council meetings, support Black and/or female owned businesses, vote. 

Doing a little wherever you are can have a major impact on your community and our world. 

You see, I’ve learned that inequality and empowerment go hand in hand. The only way to overcome inequality is to empower change. As a human being, I believe we are all morally obligated to bring positive change to our world and communities. And as a woman, I believe that we’re also obligated to support and empower the women around us.

Looking back, my career and lifestyle endeavors were largely empowered by the women I look up to. These women inspired me to realize what I was capable of achieving and pursue it. In turn, I’ve been able to empower hundreds of women within my own community through service, education, advocacy, and The Cincinnati Birth Center. Those women have gone on to empower their families, friends, and communities. It’s a beautiful cycle of empowerment that has the power to dismantle inequalities and transform our lives.

This is all to say that for me, today acts as a reminder of all that we’re capable of overcoming as women. Together, we can radically change the inequalities that women face - including those tied to maternal care - one individual, experience, and day at a time. 

From all of us at The Cincinnati Birthing Center, Happy Women’s Equality Day. 

Best, 
Meghan