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Labor Pains - Midwives in Crisis

May 4, 2019

Midwives are sounding the alarm that Germany faces a birthing crisis. But with their already overwhelming workload, it's hard for many to find the time to fight for their rights. Katharina Perreira -- a freelance midwife and mother -- is trying to do it regardless. Along with the organization Midwife Rebels she's campaigning for affordable liability insurance and a better image.

https://p.dw.com/p/3HvOw

The call by many midwives for an improvement in work conditions in Germany is getting louder. But political commitment to improving an extremely high workload is lacking. Katharina Perreira - freelance midwife and mother of a large family - is trying to change things. Together with the organisation Midwife Rebels, she campaigns against increasing liability insurance sums and for a better image of her profession. But that's not all. Because she says, "Good midwives strengthen society. And the way a country deals with its childbirth is a measure of its progressiveness and sustainability". A report by Anna Goretzki.