LOVE, LABOR, LOSS is a documentary film and community organizing campaign that originated in 2003 during a time when few people knew about the childbearing injury called obstetric fistula. It is based around the concept that big change can occur in small steps if concerned individuals had access to the right resources, were given adequate guidance, and were given the freedom to educate, empower and organize their own communities around issues that mattered to them.

LOVE, LABOR, LOSS is unique in its ability to create opportunities for individuals to take compelling stories of women in Niger, West Africa, living with obstetric fistula and - in their own manner, using their own creative impulses - turn it into a nationwide, grassroots phenomenon to join in solidarity with the women who continuously struggle with an injury that no woman should have to endure.

Since 2004, the film has enjoyed a very successful grassroots distribution - screening at universities, conferences, and other events, reaching thousands of people nationwide. Hundreds of screenings and discussions have taken place in both small town and metropolitan areas, and at state and Ivy League colleges. Thousands of dollars have been raised for a variety of fistula programs (ranging in scope from a global UN campaign to a local NGO in Tanzania.) The film has been shown in large auditoriums by professors and in family homes by high achieving high schoolers who saw LOVE, LABOR, LOSS during summer youth leadership conferences. In September of 2005, filmmaker Lisa Russell joined forces with Grammy-nominated artist, Zap Mama, to create THE WOMAN TOUR, a three-week initiative of film screenings and open mics to address global women's health, particularly obstetric fistula, proving that collaborations among artists can fuel an incredible fire. And in 2006, LOVE, LABOR, LOSS became part of the BEST OF FILM collection for the International Museum of Women's Imagining Ourselves online exhibit.

In the following pages, you will find information about the film and campaign, a listing of its screenings, press/news items and comments from people young and old who have used the film to inspire others and through their actions, have contributed to an amazingly, strong grassroots movement, advocating for the right for all women everywhere to have safe childbirth and pregnancy experiences. And through this collective force, more women are getting treated for their fistulas and are learning to prevent getting one in the first place. And the fight for a more equitable world for women gets stronger. We welcome your interest and involvement.