Helen Arega, MA is the Community Strategies to Advance Reproductive Justice and Equity (CARE) Lab Coordinator

Helen is a passionate advocate for reproductive and birth justice, deeply committed to empowering individuals on their birth and postpartum journeys. Influenced by her Ethiopian/Eritrean background, Helen has spent over a decade as a community-based doula and advocate for reproductive health, focusing on creating equitable, accessible care for marginalized communities in the US and Africa.

Helen holds an M.A. in Public Policy with a concentration in Health Promotion, which allows her to combine research expertise with practical, lived experience in her holistic approach to supporting birthing people. She is particularly interested in exploring the role of alternative healing modalities in enhancing birth and postpartum care. Helen co-founded of Roots of Labor Birth Collective (RLBC) and currently serves as the Program Manager for the Black Women Birthing Justice Doula Collective. She has provided full-spectrum doula services throughout the Bay Area, US and Africa; including offering free doula services to incarcerated women at Santa Rita Jail in CA.

Helen’s work extends internationally, where her Ethiopian/Eritrean heritage has led her to Uganda and Ethiopia. She collaborated with the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA), coordinating projects and serving as a co-country liaison for Ethiopian/Eritrean refugees, further strengthening her understanding of global reproductive health issues. She is also a board member of the Terrewode Women's Fund, an organization that combats Obstetric Fistula in Uganda, providing life-saving support to women affected by this devastating condition.

Outside of her professional endeavors, Helen is a lover of the planet and its people. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, hiking, practicing yoga, and sound healing, always seeking ways to deepen her connection to the world around her.

Currently, Helen is focused on advancing community, organizational, and research capacities that support birthing individuals, leveraging her unique blend of academic knowledge, practical experience, and passion for reproductive justice.