Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / In this thesis, I use gender and human rights approaches to examine and analyse the major causes of maternal mortality, which result from delay in seeking maternity care and failure to attend maternity care during pregnancy. A gender approach was used to identify and analyse inequalities that arise from belonging to one sex or from unequal power relations between sexes and how these impact on women accessing maternity care. The Human Rights approach was used to identify and analyse health system related factors that led women to delay seeking care and also failing to attend maternity care. A qualitative multiple case study methodology was followed with data analysed thematically. Findings were interpreted in the context of the International Bill of Rights, the South African Bill of Rights and International Human Rights treatises. Maternity women are unable to access maternity care because of their unmet gender equity needs, and because of maternity services that are not respecting, protecting and fulfilling their human right to access health care. A Gender-Human rights model of accessibility to quality maternity care is developed to assist health care providers in promoting availability of maternity services to health consumers. The model propositions are based on the major concepts which are: Gender equity, Women empowerment, Human rights to quality health care, Evidence Based Health Care, and Support during labour.