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International Midwives Day

May 5th - Happy International Midwives Day!

This is a major event in Australia and midwives use it to promote their profession and normal birth. Rallies, displays, special dinners and awards will all be happening today and over the rest of the week. Next Sunday is Mother’s Day, which is also a neat tie in to a week of celebration for women and their midwives.

I am proud to be associated with this group of feisty and caring professional women, as a consumer member of the Australian College of Midwives Inc. I hope that they achieve their goals of universal access for women across the country to midwifery services and free home birth for women choosing that option. Their commitment to the on-going struggle for recognition, equity and access is outstanding and worthy of both formal and informal acknowledgement.

Lots of special events will unfold. In Brisbane next weekend there is a huge rally planned on the theme of Universal Suffrage with women dressed like the Suffragettes who fought hard to achieve the vote for women all those years ago. It will make for great television and good publicity!

My best wishes on this special day to midwives wherever they are - celebrate your unique gifts to women and stand tall amongst health professionals. You have the capacity to bring great joy to families, to enable women to discover their own power and strength and to create the best possible conditions for babies to enter this sometimes troubled world. Wonderful women!

Posted by andrea at May 06, 2004 10:49 AM

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