At the 18th session of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, held from 5 to 9 December 2023 in Kasane, Botswana, Midwifery: Knowledge, Skills and Practices was inscribed on 6 December 2023 on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, upon the recommendation of UNESCO’s Evaluation Body.

The Republic of Slovenia also participated in the preparation of the nomination file. This was a multinational nomination prepared jointly by Colombia, Cyprus, the Kyrgyz Republic, Luxembourg, Nigeria, Togo and Germany, with Germany coordinating the nomination process. The proposal for the inscription of midwifery in the national Register of the Intangible Cultural Heritage was prepared by the Slovene Ethnographic Museum, acting as the Coordinator for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, based on an initiative prepared by the National Institute of Public Health, represented by Dr Zalka Drglin. The Ministry of Culture inscribed the element into the Register on 14 December 2021.

Midwifery encompasses specialized knowledge and skills related to childbirth assistance for women and newborns. It includes support and interventions during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period, as well as breastfeeding and newborn care. The aim is a safe delivery and a high-quality beginning of family life.