Just before the New Year, midwives from around the world descended on Casablanca, Morocco to participate in kick-off meetings for the first-ever Twin to Win pilot project. Over the next two years, six midwives' associations will form three pairs, and within those pairs, they will support each other to design and execute collaborative and individual projects with the ultimate goal of strengthening midwifery in their respective countries.  

The Twin to Win pilot project was developed in response to ICM midwives’ associations asking for more association-strengthening activities. Unlike other twinning projects, Twin to Win matches MAs from similar social and economic contexts to establish non-hierarchal, mutually beneficial relationships between the sets of Twins. ICM will take a backseat role in the project by facilitating workshops and regular progress check-ins, enabling the Twins to work independently and in consideration of their existing workloads. 

We are pleased to include MAs from the following countries in the pilot project: 

• Burundi and Uganda (English-speaking) 
• Senegal and Mali (French-speaking) 
• Guatemala and Costa Rica (Spanish-speaking) 

The Plenary Sessions at ICM Triennial Congresses are often the highlight of the event, bringing together midwives and other experts from around the world to unpack the issues and ideas our community members care about. We’re pleased to share the topics for this year’s Plenary Sessions which are designed to inspire solutions-oriented conversations on the evolving role of midwives and midwifery and ensuring the profession’s longevity and relevance. Each session will connect back to our Congress theme, ‘Together again: from evidence to reality’ as a nod to the overwhelming body of research supporting midwifery care, and the need to turn this evidence into action that produces better health outcomes for women and all people.  

So, without further ado, here are the Plenary Sessions for the 33rd ICM Triennial Congress:  

• Plenary Session #1: Realising the top demands of midwives – a pathway towards better pay, and a happier, healthier midwifery workforce. 
• Plenary Session #2: The last healthcare professionals standing – an exploration of the role of midwives in humanitarian and fragile settings 
• Plenary Session #3: The next 100 years of ICM and midwifery – strategies for ensuring greater support, inclusivity and representation for our global community of midwives 

In 2022, the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) chose the Colleges of Laos to be part of the second pilot project for the Midwifery Education Accreditation Programme (MEAP). Today, they have become the first of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to ensure the delivery of top-quality education and achieve the International Accreditation of Midwifery Education. 

The ICM’s Midwifery Education Accreditation Programme (MEAP)—funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation—is a key regulatory and educational mechanism that serves to assess whether pre-service midwifery education programmes meet the ICM’s global education standards. MEAP offers accreditation approval based on an independent assessment of an institute’s midwifery educational programme(s) to determine the extent to which it meets ICM standards. MEAP not only serves as a quality label, but also enables consistent midwifery education processes and graduate outcomes. 

It’s that time again; The International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) is seeking new, competent candidates for its Board. The ICM Board comprises a President, Vice-President, Treasurer and 6 Regional Board Members. The ICM Board is appointed by the ICM Council and serves a three-year term (with possibility of one tenure renewal). With the endorsement of their Midwives’ Association, any midwife may put themselves forward for nomination.

It will be six years since our last in-person global gathering, and we are so honoured and excited to come together with you for this momentous occasion! The theme for the 2023 Congress, Together again: from evidence to reality, reflects our excitement for face-to-face engagement and points to the work we’re undertaking to implement the evidence which continues to demonstrate the investment case for midwives. 

Early registration closes on 28 February, so register today!