Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness

The Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness seeks to radically transform Black Women’s health by creating a world where Black women and girls live long, happy and thriving lives, defined by healthy minds, bodies and spirits.

NIRH worked with Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness (FFBWW) and Wisconsin Alliance for Women’s Health (WAWH) to disrupt the persistent maternal and child health disparities that have plagued Black women and babies in Wisconsin for generations. With an incredibly high rate of Black infant mortality, Black babies in Wisconsin are three times more likely to die before the age of one. Equally disturbing, Black moms in Wisconsin are five times more likely to die from pregnancy related complications or during childbirth. At the center of these efforts will be a campaign to build community-level support for the Wisconsin Birth Equity Act, a groundbreaking collection of policies targeted at increasing access to full-spectrum care, financial resilience, and comprehensive insurance coverage. Building capacity and momentum at the community level with these two organizations, NIRH was able to be a thought partner on training modules as well as in creating materials to translate legislative language to community members.  We will be continuing our work to amplify Black voices and leadership within the maternal health advocacy space with the Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness in 2023.