Tackling maternal mortality, on the other hand, requires that good quality care be quickly available at health clinics.

VOA: standard.2009.11.10

"It's still, thank heavens, quite rare, " said Debra Bingham, executive director of California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

And Sarah Brown, Global Patron of the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood, addresses the need for quality maternal health services for all girls and women.

FORBES: The Undeniable Value Of Investing In Girls And Women

Women have traditionally led the fight to improve access to family planning and the provision and quality of maternal health services.

CNN: Men, step up on family planning