The Institutionalization of Childbirth in Colombia: A Proposed Analysis

Abstract

In the following pages, I analyze the origins of the ban on midwifery in Colombia, which was implemented at the same time as the institutional organization of childbirth. Following an introduction and a few brief methodological notes, I present a brief genealogy of the ban on midwifery and the beginnings of the institutionalization of childbirth in Colombia. From there, I divide the paper into three parts. In a first, I analyze the phenomenon using elements of decolonial theory and decolonial feminism. In the second part, I incorporate elements from three strands of Marxist feminism into my analysis. In the third part, I propose using Feminist Social Reproduction Theory as a complementary framework. This analytical exercise leads to the conclusion that, in Colombia, the changes that led to the ban on traditional midwifery, as well as the beginning of institutionalized childbirth, are related to racism and patriarchy, but are also clearly connected to the supply and demand for labor in the country.