This paper explores the pervasive issue of mistreatment during childbirth, linking it to deep-rooted gender inequalities within health systems. By analyzing 127 articles through a gender lens, the study identifies that both patients and healthcare providers face significant gender-based discrimination. Women in labor often lack the necessary information, financial resources, and agency to assert their rights to respectful maternity care, while healthcare providers endure poor working conditions, harassment, and limited professional growth opportunities. These systemic inequalities contribute to the normalization of mistreatment in maternity care settings. The study calls for a broader agenda that incorporates lessons from gender equality and violence prevention movements to develop effective interventions, aiming to ensure that both women receiving care and those providing it are treated with dignity and respect.