Day 5, Dr. Helen Rodríguez Trías
Dr. Helen Rodríguez Trías Intersectional Approach to Public Health and Women's Rights Paved the Way for Health Equity and Social Justice
“I hope I’ll see in my lifetime a growing realization that we are one world. And that no one is going to have quality of life unless we support everyone’s quality of life.” – Dr. Helen Rodríguez-Trías
Dr. Helen Rodríguez Trías was a trailblazing public health expert and women's rights activist whose career was guided by her understanding of the complex ways in which social and economic inequality shape people's health. Born to Puerto Rican parents in New York City, Dr. Rodríguez Trías faced discrimination and limited opportunities due to her Latina identity. However, her education and determination led her to become a paediatrician and advocate for women's reproductive rights, particularly in marginalized communities. Through her work, she aimed to challenge the pervasive injustices that contributed to poor health outcomes for vulnerable populations, leaving a lasting legacy that continues to inspire today.
In 1970, Dr. Rodríguez Trías took the helm of the pediatrics department at Lincoln Hospital in the South Bronx, which served mostly Black and Latino patients. At the time, the hospital was under constant scrutiny by community leaders and activists for public health violations, crumbling facilities, and negligent care. The Young Lords, a radical Puerto Rican civil rights organization, even staged occupations of hospital buildings, demanding better care for their community. Dr. Rodríguez Trías used her leadership position to train her staff on the needs of Puerto Rican community members and bridge the gap between hospital administrators and community activists.
During the same decade, Dr. Rodríguez Trías also became involved in the women's health movement. She attended a conference about abortion rights at Barnard College and worked with other women of colour to expand the movement's focus to include social and economic justice. She recognized that issues of reproductive rights looked different depending on a woman's race and class and fought against sterilization abuse, which targeted poor Latina and Black women.
In the 1980s, Dr. Rodríguez Trías transitioned to the New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute as medical director, where she focused on helping impoverished women with HIV. She also co-founded the Women's Caucus and the Hispanic Caucus of the American Public Health Association (APHA) and became the first Latina director of the APHA. Her work expanded public health services for women and children, not just in communities of colour in New York and Puerto Rico, but also among low-income populations throughout Central and South America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
In recognition of her remarkable contributions to public health and advocacy for women's rights, Dr. Helen Rodríguez Trías was awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal by President Bill Clinton in 2001. Dr. Rodríguez Trías was the first Latina to receive this award. Her legacy serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of intersectionality in healthcare. She understood that a person's race, class, and gender identity all played a role in their health outcomes and worked tirelessly to ensure that marginalized communities received the care they deserved. Her advocacy for reproductive rights and against sterilization abuse, as well as her work to expand HIV services for impoverished women, have helped countless individuals receive the care they need to live healthy, fulfilling lives.