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Students present CEDAW-linked research to Durham commissioners on maternal, dental and domestic-violence gaps
Summary
Three student researchers working with WomenNC presented local policy recommendations tied to Durham's 2017 CEDAW resolution: addressing the "strong Black woman" archetype in maternal care, closing a "smile gap" in Medicaid dental utilization for pregnant women, and improving culturally responsive services for Latinx survivors of intimate partner violence.
Beth Dagan, founder and president of WomenNC, introduced three student scholars who gave concise policy-oriented presentations to the board. Noelle Smith (NC Central University) argued that the "strong Black woman" archetype contributes to higher maternal health risk and endorsed bias-aware respectful maternity-care frameworks and community education. "Just because you carry it well does not mean it isn't heavy," Smith told commissioners.
Caroline Zhu (Duke University) described the "smile gap," noting low dental-care utilization among pregnant women covered by Medicaid in North Carolina; she recommended raising Medicaid dental reimbursement floors and creating warm-handoff referral systems between prenatal and dental providers. Shalena Morgan Lopez (NC State) examined barriers Latinx survivors face when seeking IPV services and urged expanded bilingual services and protections to reduce fear of immigration enforcement.
The board responded positively and requested staff connections: Commissioners encouraged sharing the students' reports with public health, the Durham Women's Commission and local service providers for follow-up and potential policy development. Director Jenkins of public health and other officials were present and received the materials for follow-up.
