This year’s global campaign is based on the slogan “Caring for Births = Caring for Families” and highlights birth as a personal, unique and intimate event in people’s lives, involving the newborn, the woman giving birth, her partner or companion, and all those around her.

When talking about respectful childbirth, it includes, among other things, a bond of trust with professionals, that the patient is informed of all medical interventions before, during and after pregnancy, and that she is able to express her needs freely.

In Argentina, Law 25.929 has been in effect since 2004, prioritizing the patient’s needs based on two fundamental pillars: listening to their desires and providing information about each medical action. This allows for the preservation of their physical and psychological integrity and promotes respect, above all, avoiding the practice of obstetric violence.

In contexts of poverty, the lack of resources and trained professionals, along with dehumanized treatment, can have consequences that can complicate the health of mothers and their children.

From the Pregnancy Program of Haciendo Camino, the goal is to support mothers in situations of social risk, promoting care and providing necessary information for better motherhood. It also aims to be a space where they can share their experiences, such as their childbirth stories, among other things.

“What they often share is that they have received mistreatment from doctors,” explains Silvana Brizuela, who accompanies women in the health workshops in La Banda, Santiago del Estero. “Treating women this way is deeply ingrained and changing it is a slow process. We try to ensure that they are aware and have the information,” adds the professional, emphasizing the importance of every woman knowing her rights.

Being treated with respect, kindness, and dignity is the key for each mother, her baby, and her family to have a better starting point for sensitive and loving upbringing.