Obstetric violence is defined as the situation during labor where a woman suffers from mistreatment, is forced to go through unexplained medical procedures, is shouted at and overall disrespected. This affects negatively their emotional and psychological wellbeing. Companeros En Salud wants to make sure women in rural Mexico experience respectful births, and stay healthy during the process. We want to make possible a reality where quality healthcare services reach pregnant women and babies.
In Mexico, over one third of women who have given birth, reported to have suffered from obstetric violence in hospitals, and in 2019, Chiapas had 29.8% of maternal deaths due to avoidable issues, like hemorrages, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, and miscarriages. This is an issue that should be properly addressed in order to keep more women from suffering from this type of violence and even death.
We collaborate with the Ministry of Health, and since 2016, we have worked at Casa Materna, where we have a respectful childbirth model. Here, we treat women no matter their age, nationality, socioeconomic situation, or migratory status; no interventions are done without authorization. Now, Companeros En Salud is looking forward to expand its services by building a second Casa Materna. We will equip the facility, bring obstetric nurses, professional midwives, and provide training for staff.
We will impact an area of 32,457 people with our respectful childbirth model, and provide prenatal care for pregnant women with the support of obstetric nurses and professional midwives. This will not only reduce obstetric violence in the area, but reduce maternal mortality rates as well.
