Diversity & Inclusion
Department Statement on Equity and Inclusion
The Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health is dedicated to dismantling systemic racism and building a space for reparation, healing, and trust. As individuals and as an institution, we are devoted to the development of healthcare systems and communities that prioritizes equity and justice for all.
Our department is obligated to understand the long history of racism in systems of healthcare in order to effectuate equitable change. We join the University of Minnesota in recognizing the grave injustices that are inextricably linked to the advancement of our specialty. The practices of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Nurse-Midwifery were founded and developed within the American legacy of racism and white supremacy.
The systematic eradication of Black midwives, surgical experimentation of enslaved Black women and coerced sterilization of countless non-consenting women and men throughout US history demands acknowledgement in both the education and practice of Obstetrics and Gynecology. We accredit Saartjie Baartman, Anarcha, Betsey, Lucy, Henrietta Lacks, and countless women whose bodies and memories were systematically violated as the Mothers of Modern Gynecology. As modern-day healthcare practitioners, it is our responsibility to confront this history and our continued role in perpetuating trauma and harm in healthcare settings.
We humbly recognize these words are not enough and that transformative action to affect actual change for our community is the only way forward. This action is long overdue. George Floyd’s brutal and senseless murder was one of countless Black lives lost due to systemic racism. Black women are currently three to four times more likely than White women to experience maternal death. During the COVID-19 pandemic, glaring disparities in health and deaths among Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) were impossible to ignore, demonstrating that racism is a public health crisis. As a nation, we need to collectively confront centuries of systemic racism, oppressive healthcare practices, and their consequences we see today.
Our department is committed to transforming women’s health through our research, education, and our patient care. We recognize that to truly serve our patients, our path forward must be focused on achieving an equitable and welcoming care environment, supporting scholarship and education focused on inclusivity and anti-racist practices, and committing to the recruitment, retainment, and support of all healthcare professionals.
University Of Minnesota Title IX Statement
As required by Title IX, the University does not discriminate on the basis of sex in any of its education programs or activities, including in admissions and employment. Inquiries about the application of Title IX can be directed to the University’s Title IX Coordinators or to the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights. Please see the University of Minnesota’s Title IX Statement (eoaa.umn.edu/resources) and the University’s policy (policy.umn.edu/hr/sexharassassault) for information about: (1) how to contact the Title IX Coordinators on the University’s campuses; (2) how to report or file a formal complaint of sexual harassment, gender-based harassment, sexual assault, stalking or relationship violence; and (3) the University’s procedures for responding to reports and formal complaints.
