“Midwives, Mothers and Families: Partners for Life!” is the theme for International Day of the Midwife this Friday, May 5th. The International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) invites and encourages midwives to share your views, photos, stories using the phrase “I believe in partnership” on all ICM information platforms as a celebration of the wonderful work that midwives do around the globe. When you share your stories and photos, make sure you include #IDM2017. Click HERE to watch a video example of Nester T. Moyo, ICM’s Senior Midwifery Advisor, as she shares her views on partnership between midwives, mothers and families.
A message from Sally Pairman, ICM Chief Executive:
“Midwives everywhere understand that by working in partnership with women and their families they can support them to make better decisions about what they need to have a safe and fulfilling birth. It is evident that midwives deliver more than babies, in many instances they provide comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services and play a critical role in promoting health issues in their communities. As members of their communities, midwives are familiar with community issues, cultures and challenges. Working in partnership with women allows midwives and women to get to know each other and build trust and respect. Midwives can then provide individualized care that meets each woman’s needs, is culturally safe, includes the woman’s family and is therefore more likely to have a lasting impact.
Access to a skilled midwife can help reduce and prevent deaths of more than 287,000 women who die while giving birth, those who are left morbidities and 2.7 million newborns who die within the first 28 days of life because they have no mothers. That is why we need to take this partnership between midwives and mothers to a political level. If midwives and women and their families raise their voices together to advocate for changes to midwifery and maternity services they can combine their political power to make more impact and bring about changes so that services meet the needs of women and midwives.
The ICM has prepared a fabulous resource pack with all kind of ideas and tips for celebrating International Day of the Midwife. You’ll find useful advice for planning a special event, tips for issuing a press release, and great examples for posting on social media like Twitter and Facebook. You can also download logos and posters.
We hope you’ll find a way to celebrate and share your stories on International Day of the Midwife. But if you do nothing else this Friday, take a few minutes to breathe deeply and let yourself really feel what it’s like to be part of the global community of midwives numbering in the hundreds of thousands. Hold close to your heart the midwives working in South Sudan where the maternal mortality rate is 2,000 per 100,000 live births.
Imagine the millions who will benefit because Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Kyrgzstan are implementing a Midwifery Services Framework (MSF) that supports the development and strengthening of midwifery services, with a focus on a quality midwifery workforce.
Celebrate the midwives right here in our country, midwives like yourself, who persevere despite the many obstacles and provide community-based care that transforms lives!
Virtual International Day of the Midwife (VIDM) 2017
The Virtual International Day of the Midwife (VIDM) is an annual free 24-hour online international conference celebrating midwifery and birth-related matters on IDM. This is the 9th annual conference and features speakers from around the world, including Scotland, Iran, Ethiopia, Germany, Indonesia and more! Topics range from working with refugees to integrative and complementary health care to post-traumatic stress among midwives. ICM Chief Executive Sally Pairman will be leading the final session. The VIDM conference spans May 4 and 5 depending on your time zone and the program can be accessed HERE.
ICM Triennial Congress to Convene in Toronto in June
More than 4,000 midwives are expected gather in Toronto, Canada from June 18th to 22nd for the 31st ICM Triennial Congress. It’s not too late to register for this incredible opportunity to be part of the learning and action around the theme “Midwives: Making a Difference in the World.” The last congress in North America was held more than 20 years ago in Vancouver, British Columbia. The next Congress will be held in Bali in 2020.
For those lucky enough to be able to attend the Congress, be sure to arrive early for the March for More Midwives on Saturday 17 June when thousands of midwives will take to the streets as part of a spectacular parade through the city. ‘The world needs more midwives now’ is a theme that resonates in many parts of the profession where there are insufficient midwives or inadequate funding for midwife education and more trained midwives. The march will draw attention to the role of midwives in reducing maternal and baby ill health or mortality.
International Council Meeting
ICM is governed by the international Council which meets in full every three years for four days immediately before the Congress. As a member association, NACPM will send two voting delegates to the Council meeting. Delegates debate and discuss policy and update core documents including Position Statements, Guidelines, and Midwifery Standards. They provide strategic direction for ICM. They review financial statements and reports. The Board for the next triennium is appointed. The Council also hears presentations from three shortlisted Midwives Associations (countries) and votes on the Congress country for 6 years hence.