Birthrights

The objects of the CIO are to promote the human rights of child-bearing women and people (as set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and subsequent United Nations conventions and declarations, and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms) in England and Wales by all or any of the following means: • Promoting awareness of the legal rights of child-bearing women and people during and connected to pregnancy, childbirth, the post-natal period (the 6 weeks subsequent to birth) and lactation;• Promoting respect for the legal rights of child-bearing women and people among healthcare organisations, medical and other professionals and in society at large;• Protecting the human rights of child-bearing women and people through the provision of legal information and advice and obtaining redress for victims of human rights abuse;• Campaigning in relation to human rights and related legal issues relating to child-bearing women and people;• Responding with technical advice to proposed legislation and policy affecting child-bearing women and people;• Providing technical advice to government and others on human rights and other legal and regulatory matters as they affect child-bearing women and people;• Contributing to the understanding and sound administration of human rights law as it affects child-bearing women and people, in particular, but not exclusively, through third-party interventions in legal cases;• Promoting the human rights and lawful treatment of child-bearing women and people by commissioning and conducting research;• Providing education and training to, among others, parents and parents-to-be, healthcare professionals and the public on human rights and the law as it affects child-bearing women and people.• Eliminating infringements of human rights of child-bearing women and people.• Other charitable activities that the trustees may from time to time determine to promote the human rights and legal status of childbearing women and people.(1) In furtherance of these objects but not otherwise, the trustees shall have power to engage in political activity provided that the trustees are satisfied that the proposed activities will further the purposes of the charity to an extent justified by the resources committed and the activity is not the dominant means by which the CIO carries out its objects.(2) Nothing in this constitution shall authorise an application of the property of the CIO for purposes which are not charitable in accordance with section 7 of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 or section 2 of the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008.