Midwife from Guatemala
Elsa Esther Chutá Gabriel, originally from the village of Hacienda Vieja, San José Poaquil, Chimaltenango, Guatemala, a Kaqchikel Maya woman, is a Professional Midwife who graduated from the CASA School of Midwives in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico, between 2008 and 2012.
She has 13 years of experience in midwifery and training that includes studies, internships, and specialization in planned and respectful water births, obstetric emergencies, gynecological ultrasounds, and contraception. She was hired by the Inter-American Development Bank to provide midwifery services to Tzeltal Maya women in the highlands of Chiapas.
In 2015, Elsa decided to return to Guatemala to be part of the “Long Live Mothers!” project. She is a member of the Center for Epidemiological Research and Sexual and Reproductive Health (CIESAR), promoting the link between professional midwives, traditional midwives, and public health services in the Alta Verapaz and Huehuetenango regions.
She completed a bachelor’s degree in Health Services Administration and Management at Galileo University and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Policy Planning and Management, as well as Infant Nutrition Programs. She also serves on the board of the Association of Professional Midwives of Guatemala (APPG).
he currently works as a Clinical Coordinator at Corazón del Agua, where she performs clinical and administrative roles, as well as teaching the University Technician in Professional Midwifery with an Intercultural Approach, implemented by Galileo University and the Corazón del Agua Association since 2018. Through her work, she seeks to support women in their different stages of life, providing humane and respectful treatment. She honors birth as a sacred act and believes in the dignity of women and sisterhood.
She learned about the safe motherhood project in 2024 and is delighted to be part of this team because it is an act of community empowerment.
