Health is a Human Right
In a historic Chicago Press Meeting held in 1966, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. famously declared: “Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and inhumane.” While discussions of human rights violations often center on issues like torture, economic destabilization, and isolation, most cases where a person’s human right is violated involve the deprivation of health, both physical and mental. Health is and has always been an intrinsic human right and all persons, regardless of race, ethnicity, creed, or presentation, deserve access to the highest quality of health. As a public health practitioner and researcher, my ultimate mission is to work towards health equity for communities across the globe, especially in the most vulnerable of communities. My work involves increasing health access and representation in health studies in migrant and refugee communities, as well as health issues affecting Black women across the diaspora. By protecting the health of the communities I represent, I am preserving their basic human right to live healthier, dignified lives.
Currently, I am excited for BWC’s research on Black Women and the Beauty Industry. For too long, the beauty industry has perpetuated harmful beauty standards and excluded women of color from meaningful participation. When Black women were centered in product development and distribution, the products were of lower quality in formula, packaging, and had inappropriate or limited marketing campaigns. The devastation the beauty industry has caused far exceeds just physical health effects. The beauty industry has been long over-due for reform. I strongly believe this initiative is pushing reformation forward in this space.
As Chair of Partnerships in the International Partnerships Department, I am currently leading collaborative efforts with Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security, and Conflict Transformation, or WCAPS. One of the current programs I am developing is a series of webinars aimed at introducing women of color to various careers in global diplomacy and foreign affairs, as well as strengthening financial resiliency and increasing economic development in communities across the globe. I plan to continue the expansion of the International Partnerships Department (IP), a relatively new department in the organization, through partnerships with organizations in the US, like WCAPs, as well as organizations in foreign countries with the assistance of IP members and directors. The struggles we face as Black women in the US are intertwined with the obstacles women of color face across the globe. To ensure freedom and equality for all women, we must focus our efforts together.
Looking ahead, I’d love to see BWC expand its Public Health research to increase the representation of Black women in clinical trials and diversity in biotechnology and the biopharmaceutical industry. This is a space greatly neglected and would contribute to a substantial improvement in health programs and therapies for Black women. Together, we can work towards a future where health equity and representation are not just ideals, but realities for all.
Written by Sumaya Abdullahi, Partnerships Chair of the International Partnership Department
