Hermine Hayes (Opening Keynote)

Hermine Hayes-Klein, JD is an international birth rights lawyer with extensive experience advocating for the human rights of birthing people, around the U.S. and internationally. From 2007-2012, Hermine taught international law at The Hague University in The Netherlands, where she was also the Director of the Bynkershoek Institute Research Center for Reproductive Rights.

From 2012-2017, Hermine organized 6 international conferences on the topic of Human Rights in Childbirth. Since 2017, Hermine has focused on direct legal advocacy to advance reproductive justice in maternal healthcare. She has represented midwives in administrative, civil, and criminal legal proceedings, and advocated for their right to work with autonomy and security in many states and nations.  She also advocates for birthing people who have experienced informed consent violations, racism, and obstetric violence during childbirth.

VIDM page:  https://vidm.org/hermine-heyes-klein/