On Advocating for Black Mothers - HIMSS Europe Series with Carolina Coimbra

Unveiling the Challenges of Maternal Health for Black Women in Portugal.

In this new episode of Narratives of Purpose's special series from the 2025 HIMSS European Health Conference, host Claire Murigande speaks with Carolina Coimbra, a doula and activist for pregnancy and childbirth rights.

Carolina is also the co-founder of SaMaNe, an association which aims to address the disparities in maternal healthcare experienced by Black and Afro-descendant women in Portugal, particularly through rigorous data collection and community engagement initiatives.

Carolina mentions her role as an advisor in the Portuguese Parliament, where her advocacy work has culminated in the approval of a groundbreaking national law, the first of its kind in Europe, that defines obstetric violence. Through Carolina's insights, we gain a profound understanding of the intersectionality of health disparities and the need for systemic change.

Be sure to visit our podcast website for the full episode transcript.

LINKS:

• Read about obstetric violence recognition in the Portuguese law on the respectfulcare.eu website
• Connect with Carolina Coimbra: INSTAGRAM | LINKEDIN | FACEBOOK
• Learn more about Carolina's work at aminhadoulacarolina.pt
• Find more information about the SaMaNe association at associacaosamane.org
• Follow SaMaNe on social media: Facebook

• Follow our host Dr. Claire Murigande: WEBSITE | LINKEDIN
• Follow us: LinkedIn | Instagram
• Connect with us: [email protected] | subscribe to our news
• Tell us what you think: write a review

This interview was recorded by Megan McCrory from the SwissCast Podcast Network.

This series was produced with the support of Shawn Smith at Dripping in Black.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 - The First European National Law Defining Obstetric Violence

01:23 - Introducing Carolina and the SaMaNe Association

02:44 - How SaMaNe began, its Main Activities, and Data From its First Report

06:52 - Carolina's Work in The Parliament

08:23 - Carolina's Expectations of the HIMSS Congress

10:54 - Obstetric Violence Legal Definition Overview