Beatriz’s Story: Dignity, Language, and the Fight for Respectful Maternal Care in Chiapas, Mexico
- Stacey Ramirez
- Dec 15
- 3 min read
Beatriz Pérez Cadena, from the Tsotsil-Maya region of Zinacantán, Chiapas, has been working with GPA's Respectful Maternal Care Program for the past two years. She sat down to talk with us about the program's importance. Read about how she believes the program can make big shifts in the care that Indigenous women receive at hospitals and clinics, and how her lived experience deepens the program's impact.
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When Beatriz Pérez Cadena walks into a hospital in rural Chiapas, she carries more than a clipboard or a stack of surveys. She carries lived experience—her own and that of the Indigenous women whose voices have long gone unheard inside medical institutions. As an Assistant Coordinator of Global Pediatric Alliance’s Respectful Maternal Care program, she has become a bridge between systems: between hospitals and communities, between Spanish and Tsotsil Maya, between technical training and human understanding.
Inside the System: Raising Awareness
Her days are a mix of data entry, coordinating workshops with medical staff, and entering hospital wards to observe how pregnant women are treated. She speaks with women waiting for consultations, listening to stories that too often reveal inequity and mistreatment.
Her work with the Nich Ixim Midwives’ Movement—photography, video, and audio documentation—further deepens her understanding of the challenges women face.The program she helps lead seeks to shift norms within hospitals. Workshops encourage health personnel to reflect on inequities that Indigenous women experience, and to rethink what it means to offer dignified, culturally aware care. “Doctors learn the technical side of medicine,” Beatriz explains, “but they aren’t taught about dignity, or cultural context, or how to truly communicate with the women they serve.”
Small Actions, Big Shifts
The impact of these workshops is clear. The program’s interventions with medical residents often lead to simple but powerful changes. A greeting—“Good morning, I’m your doctor”—may seem small, but in hospitals where women are rarely acknowledged, it represents a profound shift in tone and respect.
Transforming the Yajalón Hospital
Some of the most visible results have emerged in Yajalón Hospital, where early observations revealed entire rooms left unusable due to rain damage. Through steady intervention and awareness-building, conditions have improved. More importantly, staff have begun to adopt practices rooted in dignity and humanity. “We’re helping people understand that dignified treatment is not optional—it’s essential,” Beatriz says.
Language as a Barrier—and a Key to Change
Beatriz speaks openly about the biases Indigenous women face. Language is often the greatest barrier. When a woman wears traditional clothing or cannot speak Spanish, assumptions arise that directly affect her care. Survey data show that women with more formal education face less mistreatment, underscoring the deep inequities at play.
Rooted in Her Own Story
Beatriz’s commitment is personal. A Tsotsil speaker from Zinacantán, she knows firsthand how unwelcoming medical spaces can feel. Before joining GPA, she worked as a cultural manager in state government, focusing on intercultural communication. “As Indigenous people, going to medical services makes you feel less. It makes you feel invisible,” she says.
Her work as a translator for Indigenous women in vulnerable situations deepened her resolve. GPA offered her the chance to help reshape how institutions understand and care for her community.
Breaking Barriers, Shaping Policy
What distinguishes GPA, she explains, is its commitment to closing the loop—working not only with communities and health personnel but also with government institutions. Discussions are now underway that could expand the model statewide. “GPA is daring to break down barriers so public policies can be born from within the community,” Beatriz says.
Beyond the Organization
Beatriz is currently developing culturally relevant prenatal care resources for Tsotsil and Tseltal Mayan women. She is also a digital activist, dedicated to promoting her language online.
Why This Work Matters
When asked why GPA’s work deserves support, her answer is both emotional and resolute. “Global Pediatric Alliance has changed my life as a professional and as an Indigenous woman. What GPA is doing will impact many generations of women and children.”
She expresses deep gratitude to GPA donors: “Through their support, we continue to achieve important advances for Indigenous women. They shouldn’t doubt for a moment that this work is improving people’s lives.”
To learn more about our Respectful Maternal Care Program, click here
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