The EMMA Association from Hungary has recently released a new publication, Every Woman Matters, capturing the inspiring experiences and key lessons from five years of running the Roma Community Midwife Service in Alsózsolca, a small rural community in northeastern Hungary.

Community midwives are trained professionals who provide emotional, informational, and physical support to women during pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period — especially to those with whom they share cultural, racial, or lived experiences.

In Alsózsolca, the midwife service was created in close collaboration with local Roma women to ensure respectful and culturally sensitive maternity care. Over the years, the initiative has expanded beyond childbirth to include support in accessing contraception and abortion care, responding to the broader sexual and reproductive health needs of women in the community.

The experience shows that community midwives can play a vital role in improving maternal health, helping protect women from obstetric violence and institutional discrimination. While midwives alone cannot dismantle all systemic barriers faced by Roma women, their presence clearly reduces health inequalities and builds trust within marginalized communities.

The publication combines personal testimonies and practical recommendations for those wishing to develop similar initiatives elsewhere. It highlights how woman-centered, trauma-informed peer support can transform care, strengthen solidarity, and make reproductive health services more inclusive for all.

📘 You can read the full publication here: EMMA – Every Woman Matters (PDF)