This entry begins with an evolutionary perspective, summarizing anthropological findings that cultures that evolved midwifery traditions would likely have had a survival advantage. It describes the cultural overlays on the physiological processes of labor and birth as ritualized in ways that reflect the core values and beliefs of a given society and also reflect women's status in that society. Rich and nurturant birth traditions and practices tend to develop where women's status is high, and vice versa. The entry stresses the importance of place and practitioner. At home and in birth centers where midwives are the primary attendants, the physiological process is generally allowed to unfold at its own rhythm, whereas in hospitals, ritualized interventions that reflect cultural values on high technologies and the control of nature predominate, often leading to obstetric violence against women—which birth activists around the world are currently identifying as a major violation of women's human rights.