Feminist literature examines how the language used by the Muskoka Initiative that is paternalistic and essentialist and does not include gender equality in its mandate (Tiessan). It critiques not only the way women are portrayed by the initiative as mothers instead of women, but also how patriarchal and essentialist understandings of women are perpetuated because the initiative fails to address the systemic gender barriers women face. Maternal mortality cannot be overcome unless gender equality is addressed, because in order to move forward in women’s health women’s rights need to be protected, promoted, and advanced (Hord and Wolf). The literature also highlights how Canada, as a country with progressive conceptions of women’s rights needs to use this stance to support programs both at home and abroad that allow for women and girls to achieve gender equality. …show more content…
Therefore, foreign aid policies should take advantage of the fact that abortion is not explicitly illegal in all developing countries, and they should use this opportunity to advocate for the accessibility of high quality abortion care instead of creating policies that ignore it. The feminist literature also illustrates there is an overall lack of other social determinants of health that contribute to maternal and infant mortality in the Muskoka Initiative (Huish and Spiegal), most notably gender equality. For example, the Muskoka Initiative focuses on emphasizing motherhood, instead of women or gender equality. This is done by reducing maternal health to focus on women’s bodies and their reproductive roles, which directs the focus of foreign aid policies and programs, which in turn takes away from the power women have over their bodies and the ability to make decisions about their bodies