January 21, 2013 marks the celebration of Martin Luther King Day in the United States. A visionary whose time was cut short by the madness he was working to eliminate. Dr. King was more than an evangelist for our time. He saw equality, opportunity, and peace as our most basic set of human rights. On April 4, 1968 the man died, but his words and hopes have continued to inspire global citizens determined to realize his dream nearly four decades later.

Maternova often highlights innovations in technology and health care protocols—but saving mothers’ lives requires an even broader set of tools. In recent years, human rights law has emerged as a critical tool for protecting women while giving life.

Organizations such as the International Initiative on Maternal Mortality and Human Rights) (IIMMHR) promote a human rights approach to maternal health, because it allows advocates to demand government accountability and action. More simply, a human rights framework makes plain that maternal death and injury violate the basic rights of women and girls—the rights to life and to the highest attainable standard of health.