The White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood is a grassroots movement that builds alliances, strengthens capacity, influences policies, harnesses resources and inspires action to save the lives of women and newborns around the world.

Vision

The White Ribbon Alliance is working to create a world where:

• It is a woman's* basic human right to achieve optimal health care throughout pregnancy and childbirth for herself and her newborns.
• Women are empowered to demand quality, safe and respectful motherhood services and to help other women to do the same.
• Women and newborns have access to essential and life-saving motherhood services and information.
• Women and men come together as active members in the safe motherhood movement, with the knowledge to make decisions that promote safe motherhood within their own families and communities.
• Communities work together to address the effects of poverty, HIV/AIDS, armed conflict, violence against women and children, and gender inequities on safe motherhood.
• Governments set policies in collaboration with women, their communities and other stakeholders to implement programs in support of safe motherhood.

     *This includes all women of childbearing age.

Principles

The following principles are our shared beliefs, which provide guidance about structure, processes and overall conduct to all who join the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood.

• Members have a voice and responsibility to participate in decision-making, and to develop and maintain an accountable, transparent, responsive and sustainable alliance.
• Members may organize activities consistent with the mission, vision and principles of the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood.
• Members are committed to enhancing local understanding of safe motherhood and building local capacity to advance the goals of safe motherhood at all levels.
• Members are committed to sharing best and promising practices to advance the goal of safe motherhood.
• The White Ribbon Alliance promotes collaboration and open exchange of information, ideas and learning in ways that are appropriate in the local, national and international context.
• The White Ribbon Alliance actively seeks the participation and/or partnership with women, men, their families and communities, professionals and practitioners from diverse fields, members of civil society, the private sector, UN agencies, bilaterals, donors, and all sectors of government.
• The White Ribbon Alliance values, aspires and works to recognize each member's voluntary contribution to the goals of safe motherhood and connects local action with the larger vision.
• The White Ribbon Alliance respects, protects and encourages individual, gender, cultural and social diversity.
• The White Ribbon Alliance is open for membership irrespective of caste, color and creed by any individual or group agreeing to its mission, vision and principles and the unifying symbol of the white ribbon.
• The White Ribbon Alliance advocates for safe motherhood as a basic human right.