Pakistani-Canadian children’s book illustrator Anoosha Syed has recently been using her platform to publish a series of relatable pregnancy diary comics. In them, Syed approaches heavy subjects, such as body image issues and lighter ones like food cravings, in a cheerful and feel-good tone, similar to those found in children’s books.
By doing so, Syed has created a safe space for other pregnant women to discuss and learn from each other’s pregnancy experiences online. All so that they can together navigate these issues at a time when women’s reproductive health care and education on the topic have been far from adequate. This is why the pregnancy diary comics by Anoosha Syed are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of Gender Equality and Good Health And Well-Being.
In 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) charted that every day, almost 800 women die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. In the same year, nearly 95 percent of all maternal deaths occurred in low and lower-middle-income countries, and statistics have shown that most could have been prevented if they had access to adequate health care and education on pregnancies. Hence, Syed’s comics go a long way in helping women across the planet understand their experiences better.
Syed has also done a comic to advocate for the experiences of pregnant Palestinian women. In it, she had included specific case studies, where women who had tried so long to get pregnant then had lost their children within a matter of minutes after giving birth. She also cited sources that outline how 40 percent of pregnancies in Palestinians have been classified as high-risk, further decreasing their chances of a safe birth. Again, Syed has shown just how far her pregnancy diary comics can go.
Anoosha Syed's relatable pregnancy comics offer a heartfelt and accessible way for women to connect over the shared experiences of pregnancy. By blending humour with the realities of pregnancy, Syed creates a supportive community where women can find validation and understanding, particularly in a world where access to adequate reproductive health care and education is often lacking. Through her work, Syed amplifies pregnant women's voices and contributes to the broader dialogue on maternal health.
Find out more about relatable pregnancy comics and other pieces by Anoosha Syed on her website www.anooshasyed.com or Instagram @anoosha_draws.