Wrapping up another year: Your December update is

DEADLINE EXTENDED: Apply for the 2021-23 Young Midwife Leaders Programme

ICM is still calling for application to the 2021-23 Young Midwife Leaders (YML) programme. The deadline has been extended from 30 November to 17 December.  

The YML programme is a two-year programme which provides young midwives with a unique opportunity to learn how to develop as leaders in their professional lives and the communities they work in. The programme challenges young midwives to broaden their knowledge of key policy areas in maternal and newborn health and create innovative projects to address some of the biggest global health challenges of today.   

The YML programme consists of:    

• Online, interactive learning on leadership, and the role and function of International Confederation of Midwives    

• A combination of group and individual projects   

• ICM will support a chosen mentor for each YML to develop their mentoring skills     

The programme aims to identify young midwives with the potential to become leaders within their national midwifery communities and to build their capacity to become the global and regional midwifery leaders of tomorrow.   

Note: Candidates must have a fluent level of English to apply. 

Coming soon: A Moment for Midwives: Past successes and future hopes for the Decade of the Midwife 

Together with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), ICM will soon share the newest issue of the digital magazine ‘A Moment for Midwives.’ As 2021 comes to a close, we’re looking back on this year’s key moments in midwifery. This year’s topic is “Past successes and future hopes for the Decade of the Midwife.” The magazine will include features about:  

• ICM’s New Professional Framework for Midwifery  

• UNFPA’s work around Maternal Mental Health (MMH)  

•  Efforts to meet certain Sustainable Development Goals through the PUSH Campaign 

• News in the world of midwifery education  

• And much more... 

Stay tuned to ICM social media channels to access the magazine in mid-December 2021. 

Uruguay! Participate in the first-ever National Census of Midwives in Uruguay

The Obstetric Association of Uruguay—with the support of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of the Republic of Uruguay—is conducting the first National Census of Midwives in Uruguay.  

Thanks to this initiative, Uruguay will be the first country in the region to have a census of the midwifery profession, which will be a key tool for understanding the status of professional practice and the technical professional practice and the technical competencies that constitute the identity of the Uruguayan midwife. 

If you're a Uruguayan midwife—in Uruguay or abroad—complete the census! The use of this information will be exclusively for the census and the handling of this personal data will be subject to a signed commitment of confidentiality by the members of the census.

President of l’Association des Sages-Femmes du Gabon, Anita Ikogou Speaks Out Against Gender-based Violence

This past week was the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Leading up to this important international observance, Anita Ikogou, President of ICM’s Member Association in Gabon shared a strong message: 

“(Midwives) must be able to commit ourselves to not contribute to violence against women (verbal, physical or physiological) to be kind to them, to value them, to respect them and their dignity,” she said. “Gender inequality is a great threat to Africa. We need to do more to fight this discrimination. We must be at the forefront of the fight for gender equality and profound gender transformations. We must close the gap urgently. Ensure the participation and voice of girls and women. We have a critical mass to advocate for health and education.” 

Read Anita's full statement (only available in French).

Violence against women occurs worldwide, regardless of country or culture. Abuse can take many forms such as intimate partner violence, sexual violence, female genital mutilation, forced marriage and femicide. The form of violence and its prevalence may vary throughout the world, influenced by factors such as poverty, gender inequality, cultural practices, conflict or disaster and the legal status of women. 

ICM encourages our global community and Midwives’ Associations to stand up for women in their communities and to put an end to gender-based violence. 
 

“How helping women access post-pregnancy family planning keeps us accountable to our mandate” - thoughts from two passionate midwife advocates and ICM Board Members

Off the heels of a five-year Jhpiego-led study, ICM Board members, Dr. Emi Nurjasmi (South-east Asia) and Dr. Pandora Hardtman (Americas) have published a blog in The Maternal Health Task Force (MHTF) at the Center of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health (MCH) about the role of midwives in post-pregnancy family planning.

“As midwives, we are passionate about the holistic role that those in our profession play in supporting women’s and girls’ wants and needs throughout their reproductive years and beyond,” reads the piece, which was published on 10 November. “At the heart of this is an understanding that what midwives do—or fail to do—for women in the months during and after pregnancy impacts so much more than just this finite period of time.” 

ICM is growing!  

Check out the various consultant vacancies open on our website, and submit your proposal: 

• Communications & Advocacy Support: http://ow.ly/490a50GSAKE 

• Call for Reference Group to review Election Committee Terms of Reference: http://ow.ly/fF1i50GSALc  

Know an individual or agency that’d be perfect for one of these roles? Kindly share this post with your networks.