This is a practical toolkit that helps providers deliver maternity care that is not only clinically safe but also respectful and emotionally supportive. Grounded in trauma-informed care, it emphasizes dignity, consent as central to  quality of care.

These consolidated guidelines focus on the care of women during pregnancy, childbirth and the immediate postpartum period in any health care setting.

The WHO Labour Care Guide advances evidence-based, respectful, and person-centered intrapartum care by strengthening health workers’ capacity for standardized monitoring and timely decision-making.

The Aastrika Foundation’s presentation during the August 2025 ARMCC Members' meeting showcases its work in advancing midwifery-led maternity care in India, with Respectful Maternity Care (RMC) as the foundation of all training and practice. Through its extensive in-person programs, the Foundation has trained healthcare professionals to build confidence and empathy, and introduced workshops on active birth, breech birth, newborn care, and more. By embedding RMC principles at community, policy, and facility levels, and partnering with leading institutions across India, Aastrika is transforming birthing practices.

The presentation on Respectful Maternity Care (RMC) in Indonesia by Dr. Pancho Kaslam of WRA Indonesia during the August 2025 ARMCC Members' Meeting highlighted the country’s persistent maternal and neonatal health challenges, with high mortality rates and barriers to care rooted in geography, socio-cultural norms, and health system limitations. A multicenter study revealed low RMC scores, particularly in discrimination-free care, underscoring the urgent need for culturally sensitive, women-centric maternity services. Strategies to integrate dignity and respect in health systems, empower women through shared decision-making were shared as critical steps toward Health System Transformation in Indonesia.

Birth companionship is recognized as an essential component of respectful maternity care, contributing to improved maternal and neonatal outcomes. Despite its proven benefits, the practice remains less commonly practiced in Vietnam, particularly in public hospitals. This study explores perceptions, barriers, and facilitators of birth companionship in both public and private hospital settings in Vietnam.

The compendium supports efforts to end mistreatment and achieve respectful maternal and newborn care. . Emerging research has highlighted small-scale interventions, but there is still much to learn about the most effective approaches. The purpose of the compendium is to consolidate key evidence, tools and resources to support the practical implementation of respectful maternal and newborn care across different contexts. It provides program managers with essential background to build a foundational understanding of mistreatment and respectful care.

This paper presents findings from a cross-sectional study conducted across six health facilities in three Indian states between June 2019 and June 2020. It explores the prevalence and determinants of disrespect and abuse (D&A) experienced by 401 postpartum women, interviewed within two months of giving birth. Using a validated structured tool based on Bowser’s seven domains of respectful maternity care (RMC), the study captures women’s sociodemographic profiles and maternity care experiences. Ordered logistic regression analysis was used to identify key factors associated with higher levels of D&A during facility-based childbirth.