HONOURING INDIGENOUS MIDWIVES MEANS PROTECTING INDIGENOUS RIGHTS

Every year on 9 August, the world marks the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, celebrating the cultures, languages, knowledge systems, and contributions of Indigenous communities. This year's United Nations theme, "Honouring Indigenous Midwives: Safeguarding Life and Well-being," reminds us that some of the world's most valuable healthcare providers often remain invisible in national health systems.

According to the United Nations, there are approximately 476 million Indigenous Peoples living in more than 90 countries, accounting for less than 6 percent of the global population but at least 15 percent of the world's poorest people. Indigenous communities speak most of the world's 7,000 languages, represent around 5,000 distinct cultures, and steward nearly 28 percent of the Earth's land surface, including ecosystems that are critical for biodiversity conservation and climate resilience. Yet they continue to face disproportionate barriers in accessing healthcare, education, land rights, and economic opportunities.

The 2022 Population and Housing Census recorded approximately 1.65 million Indigenous people from 50 ethnic communities, representing about 1 percent of the country's population. The largest communities include the Chakma, Marma, Tripura, Santal, Oraon, Garo, Munda, and Mro, living across the Chattogram Hill Tracts and the plains of northern, northwestern, northeastern, and southwestern Bangladesh.

The theme of this year's observance is particularly relevant because maternal health remains one of the most sensitive indicators of social inclusion. In many remote Indigenous villages, particularly in the Chattogram Hill Tracts, traditional midwives continue to serve as the first and sometimes only source of maternal care. They provide prenatal guidance, assist childbirth, support mothers after delivery, and preserve generations of Indigenous medical knowledge.

Bangladesh has made remarkable progress in maternal healthcare over the past two decades. The Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) 2022 reports that approximately 88 percent of births are now attended by skilled health personnel, one of the country's major public health achievements. However, national averages can conceal persistent inequalities experienced by remote and marginalized communities.

Research among the Mro community in the Chattogram Hill Tracts found that only about 30 percent of Indigenous women had ever accessed formal maternal healthcare services. Distance from health facilities, poor transport, language barriers, financial constraints, and limited availability of culturally appropriate healthcare continue to prevent many Indigenous women from receiving timely medical care.

Honouring Indigenous midwives should not be interpreted as promoting traditional practices over modern medicine. Rather, it is about acknowledging their trusted position within communities and creating partnerships between traditional knowledge holders and the formal healthcare system. Proper training, referral mechanisms, culturally sensitive health communication, and collaboration with community health workers can strengthen maternal healthcare while respecting Indigenous culture.

There is also an important policy dimension. Bangladesh has committed itself to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), and the overarching principle of "Leaving No One Behind." Achieving these commitments requires reducing disparities experienced by Indigenous communities through improved healthcare access, multilingual public services, better rural infrastructure, and greater participation of Indigenous women in health planning and local governance.

Recognition must also extend beyond healthcare. Indigenous Peoples continue to seek stronger protection of their languages, customary land rights, education opportunities, and meaningful participation in development decisions that affect their lives. Inclusive development cannot be achieved if the voices of Indigenous communities remain absent from policy discussions.

As Bangladesh observes the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples 2026, honouring Indigenous midwives should become more than a ceremonial gesture. It should inspire concrete investments in culturally responsive healthcare, stronger community health systems, and policies that value Indigenous knowledge alongside scientific innovation.

Ultimately, safeguarding Indigenous midwives means safeguarding Indigenous communities themselves. It means recognising that healthcare is not only about hospitals and technology but also about trust, culture, dignity, and human rights. By protecting Indigenous knowledge and ensuring equal access to quality services, Bangladesh can move closer to a future where development is truly inclusive and every mother, regardless of ethnicity or geography, has the opportunity to give birth safely and with dignity.