What Doulas Really Do: Advocacy, Activism, and Love

“Birth is a feminist issue, a human rights issue, and a political issue. The way society treats women and birthing people during pregnancy and childbirth reflects deeper structural inequalities.” AIMS Journal, 2020

Supporting people through birth isn’t “just” a service. It can be a deeply radical act.

When you’re a doula, you’re holding space inside a system that so often devalues autonomy, dismisses intuition, and sidelines the very people giving birth. And it’s even more intense for those already marginalised because of their race, gender identity, age, disability, or socioeconomic status.

Being a doula means advocating for informed choice.
It means reminding someone that they are the expert on their body and their baby.
It means fiercely protecting space for consent, for dignity, for decision-making.

• Sometimes activism looks like sitting quietly and holding someone’s hand in a hospital room where they feel completely unheard.
• Sometimes it’s gently saying, “Would you like to pause and ask more questions before making that decision?”
• Sometimes it’s simply witnessing someone’s story — in all its complexity — and making sure they know they’re not alone.

It might not make headlines.
But it absolutely changes lives.

Because when someone births in their power - in their way, on their terms - it ripples outward.
It shifts how they parent, how they trust themselves, how they move through the world.

Birth work is personal, intimate.
It’s made up of small, quiet actions that create lasting impact.
But it can also be bold, loud, and far-reaching.

• Sometimes activism means raising your voice when policies ignore or endanger birthing people.
• Sometimes it’s standing on the steps of Parliament with a placard, demanding better maternal healthcare for all.
• Sometimes it’s writing letters, joining campaigns, and refusing to stay silent in the face of injustice in the birth world.

Birth is political.
It challenges systems.
It centres voices that have too often been silenced.
It says: You matter. Your choices matter. Your story matters.

And in a world that feels so heavy, where injustice, cruelty, and overwhelm are everywhere believe me, I know how easy it is to wonder: What difference can I even make?

I feel that too.

I can’t be in every room.
I can’t protect every birthing person.
I can’t fix broken systems on my own.

And yes, that can feel bloody frustrating and heartbreaking at times. Especially right now.

But I can show up for the person in front of me.
I can stand beside them. I can hold space, advocate, and witness.
And that’s enough. That’s something. That’s how change begins.

I also get to use my voice in wider spaces - by campaigning, signing petitions, showing up, and speaking out.

It’s not always comfortable.
But it matters.

Now, I get to train and support other doulas to do the same. And together, we become a constellation of quiet, and sometimes really bloody loud, steady resistance.

Honestly, it might sound a little cheesy, but we do change the world. One birth at a time.

If you care about justice…
If you want to make a difference…
If you want to have an impact…
Birth work is a powerful place to begin.

Further Reading & Taking Action

If this resonates with you and you want to dive deeper into the radical, political nature of birth work and how to engage meaningfully, here are just a few of some of the brilliant people and organisations to learn from and support:

 UK-Based Activists & Organisations

• Five X More
  A grassroots campaign dedicated to improving Black maternal health outcomes in the UK. Their work centres research, policy change, and public education to close the gap in maternal deaths and inequalities.
• Birthrights
  A UK charity championing human rights in pregnancy and childbirth. They offer legal advice, publish research reports, and advocate for respectful maternity care.
• AIMS – Association for Improvements in the Maternity Services
  A long-standing organisation advocating for autonomy, informed choice, and evidence-based maternity care. Their resources and publications are brilliant for understanding your rights.
• Kemi Johnson
  An independent midwife, birth activist, and speaker who challenges the medicalisation of birth and fights for respectful, physiological birthing experiences. Kemi is known for her powerful advocacy for Black women and birthing people, and for championing bodily autonomy and systemic change.

Supporting Global Birth Justice Issues (Safely & Ethically)

Birth justice doesn’t stop at borders and many of the systems we challenge here in the UK are rooted in global patterns of inequality and harm. If you're passionate about birth justice worldwide, here are some ways to engage responsibly and effectively:

Stand in solidarity, not saviourism

• Uplift and fund local birth workers and activists who are already embedded in their communities. Let them lead.
• Be cautious of “one-size-fits-all” campaigns.  context matters deeply in birth work.

Start with listening and learning

• Follow birth workers, midwives, and doulas from the communities you want to support.
• Learn about reproductive justice frameworks developed by Black, Indigenous, and global majority activists, especially those rooted in intersectionality.

Where to donate or learn more:

• War Child UK - Supporting children and families affected by conflict, including maternal and perinatal support in war zones.
• Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) Provides essential medical aid to women, babies, and families in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon.
• White Ribbon Alliance – Works globally for respectful maternity care and maternal health equity

The more we learn, share, and support one another, across the street or across the world, the more powerful we become.