International Day of the Midwife 2020! Celebrate. Demonstrate. Mobilise. Unite.
International Day of the Midwife is observed each year on the 5th of May since 1992, ICM leads global recognition and celebration of the work of midwives. Midwives, women, girls, partners and supporters of midwives and midwifery globally come together to celebrate the International Day of the Midwife with their own activities, driven by one strong, collective voice.
Theme
The theme for The International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) 2020 builds off the theme for the International Year of the Midwife 2020 – ‘Celebrate. Demonstrate. Mobilise. Unite.’ For IDM 2020, ICM will focus in more depth on how midwives and women can partner together to mobilise and unite toward a shared goal of gender equality.
Objectives
- Inform everyone with an interest or background in health and justice that midwives are crucial to reducing maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality
- Celebrate the achievements of midwives and their contribution to improving sexual, reproductive, maternal and newborn health outcomes
- Motivate policymakers to implement change by lobbying for adequate midwifery resources and recognition of the unique professional role of midwives.
Message to Midwives
- Be bold and brave and speak up for women’s and girl’s rights in your countries and communities.
- Fight injustices in every space you see them, from female genital mutilation, sexual violence, harassment and unfair and unequal treatment of women and girls.
- Strengthen your partnerships with women as a vital part of delivering quality care and ensure respectful maternity care is central to their work.
- Educate women on their rights to informed choice about their bodies and their lives which includes pregnancy, normal childbirth and contraception.
- Encourage women to ask healthcare professionals questions about their decisions and not to be coerced into any early medical interventions.
- Advocate equal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights for women and girls.