Kate Grant

No Woman Left Behind: A Journey of Hope to Heal Every Woman Injured in Childbirth is a memoir by Kate Grant about her life and work with the Fistula Foundation, a not for profit organisation set up to provide life-transforming surgery for women with obstetric fistula. Fistula is a debilitating childbirth injury, which can leave a woman incontinent and, as a result, often abandoned by her family and shunned by her community. With a background in advertising, Grant was keen to put her skills to use in the nonprofit sector. She completed a master’s degree in public affairs and found work at the United States Agency for International Development, where she met her first fistula patient at the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital in Ethiopia, led by Dr. Hamlin. She later met Ric Haas, the founder of the Fistula Foundation, and was asked to join the board to support Dr. Hamlin’s work. In 2005, Grant became the Fistula Foundation’s first Chief Executive, and led the expansion of the Foundation from supporting one hospital in Ethiopia, to become the global leader in fistula treatment, supporting women in more than 30 countries across Africa and Asia.

No Woman Left Behind: A Journey of Hope to Heal Every Woman Injured in Childbirth is a candid and inspiring memoir, which captures Kate Grant’s personal journey, with a powerful account of women’s health inequalities and global health advocacy.  Grant’s journey, from corporate advertising to becoming a leading voice for women suffering from debilitating obstetric fistula, is marked by dogged determination, endless energy, and enduring empathy for women impacted by this debilitating condition. Grant’s reflections on leading a global non profit organisation, developing partnerships with local healthcare providers and fundraising under pressure, offer valuable lessons for anyone working in, or interested in, global health and international development issues.

The book humanizes and destigmatizes a medical condition that affects hundreds of thousands of women in the developing world. Grant shares personal stories of many women whose lives were transformed following surgery. Their stories are heart breaking, yet uplifting, and shine a much needed light on women’s health and obstetric fistula in vulnerable populations.

Star rating: 5 Stars 

Summary: An inspiring and deeply moving memoir that shines a much needed light on obstetric fistula.