In Silence

Browsing through Magnum's photo essays (all of which are versatile and powerfully recorded), one particular headline caught my eye: In Silence. It's a startlingly sad photo essay about the unprecedented numbers of mothers dying in childbirth. India is not well-equipped to deal with basic pregnancy complications; most childbearing centers don't have surgeons or blood banks available to these women. 75% of mothers die preventable deaths.

One woman was the center of this story. Her name was Karin Yadav, and she died at the age of 25 after giving birth to a baby boy (she also had a 9-year-old daughter and a 7-year-old son). Immediately after her son was born, Karin wouldn't stop bleeding. The clinic she was in didn't have a doctor or the ability to perform a blood transfusion. The nearest hospital was only 8 miles away, but since there were no ambulances available, her family rushed her there in a taxi. Upon arrival, the gates to the hospital were closed, and the guards refused to open them. By the time Karin was finally examined by a doctor, it was too late.

The pictures, videos, and recordings (mostly Karin's family members talking about how she died and how angered they are by the injustice of it) worked really well when juxtaposed together. It's a story that almost requires a visual to be as hard-hitting and powerful as it is. It helped me to put faces to names and personal emotions to a widespread problem. Pictures of Karin's children and family members make you realize that these are people just like us, except for the fact that where they live makes life much harder.

These women would not have died here in the US. That is unacceptable. A photo essay like this one will hopefully raise awareness of this problem and help to build resources to keep these women alive for their families.