Health

Midwifery

We see declining maternal mortality in the Chiapas Highlands as a positive sign of the impact of our grantees’ work and our focused investments in:

• Expanding the skilled maternal health workforce and cross-collaboration between midwives and health care institutions, especially those overseeing maternal health care in Mexico.
• Supporting network- and movement-building to inform policies that address structural inequities.
• Advancing research to inform stakeholders.

We plan to continue to support the work of our grantees in this area as they expand their reach.

Grantee spotlight

The Movimiento de Parteras de Chiapas Nich Ixim or The Midwives Movement of Chiapas Nich Ixim (Nich Ixim), a network of several hundred Indigenous midwife members, advocates for the rights of birth workers, mothers and children, while helping them improve their skills and working to strengthen communication with officials and medical system workers. The movement holds workshops to bring together midwives and medical workers so they can learn from one another and collaborate for optimal health outcomes, and educates policymakers on key issues, such as the need for official recognition of the work of midwives.

In April 2024, Nich Ixim held a retreat in New York City for midwives from Mexico and several other countries across the Americas. During their time together, they developed a list of demands and presented them to the 23rd annual United National Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.

• Learn more about the Nich Ixim midwives’ movement.
• Read how a marriage of traditional and modern midwifery is transforming lives in rural Mexico.
• Read the future is ancestral: Indigenous and traditional birth workers from across the Americas gather to demand rights.