NACPM Joins Effort to Strengthen Midwifery Worldwide

Our first experience as a member of the ICM came in June as NACPM joined the ICM Council Meeting and Triennial Congress in Prague in the Czech Republic.  Delegates from NACPM included Executive Director Mary Lawlor, and President Ellie Daniels, who were joined by two observers: former and founding board member Dolly Browder, and membership team leader Autumn Vergo.  The United States was further represented at the ICM Council meeting by delegates from the Midwives Alliance of North America and the American College of Nurse Midwives, for a total of 300 midwives from the U.S.

ICM Delegates from NACPM: Dolly Browder, Autumn Vergo, Mary Lawlor, Ellie Daniels

"It was such an honor to attend the ICM Council and Congress in the beautiful city of Prague with almost 4000 smart, committed and hard-working midwives from around the world!", said Mary Lawlor.  "We learned so much about the challenges and successes experienced by midwives and mothers in countries from Europe to Africa to Asia and beyond.  And in those conversations, our NACPM delegates were able to share the contributions that CPMs have to offer to midwifery worldwide, and how the work of ICM is supporting midwifery in our country.  We are grateful to be a part of this essential network."

NACPM participation in the ICM Council and Congress this year was especially timely.   The work of the ICM, in particular the ICM Global Standards, has been a critical focus for U.S. midwifery over the past 3 years. NACPM has played a leadership role in an historic collaboration between CPMs and CNMs to foster unity among midwives in our country and to promote midwives within the maternity care system in the U.S. These efforts include critical support for licensing for CPMs in all 50 states.  This collaboration, US Midwifery:  Education, Regulation & Association (USMERA), continues to be a focus for NACPM going into 2015.

The ICM seeks to strengthen midwifery associations around the globe through focus on and support for professional association, midwifery regulation, and the education of midwives. The ICM is organized into four regions: Africa, the Americas, Asia Pacific and Europe. Together these associations represent more than 300,000 midwives globally.

ICM 2014 Congress Video -MEMORIES FROM PRAGUE

 At this year's Council Meeting, delegates approved adding a third representative to the Asia/Pacific Region, selected Bali, Indonesia as the location of the 2020 Congress, and elected a new Vice President and Board of Directors. Additionally, the Council reviewed position papers addressing:

• Birth Registration
• The Role of Midwives in Emergency Preparedness
• Gender-Biased Sex Selection
• Task Shifting
• Basic and Ongoing Education for Midwives
• Partnerships between Professional Midwives and Traditional Birth Attendants
• Midwifery Care for Women with Complications of Childbirth
• Midwives and Violence Against Women
• Qualifications and Competencies of Midwifery

Opening Event: Voices of Midwives

In addition to policy work accomplished at the Council meeting, the ICM congress created a unique opportunity for midwives from around the world to meet and share ideas. Over 3500 midwives attended the Congress, and this year's attendees included an unprecedented number of student midwives.

The theme of the Congress was "Midwives:  Improving Women's Health Globally".  Each of the four days of the Congress addressed a subtheme, including:

• Bridging midwifery and women's health rights
• Access:  bridging the gap to improving care and outcomes for women and their families
• Education:  the bridge to midwifery and women's autonomy
• Midwifery:  bridging culture and practice

At the Americas Regional meeting, new representatives to the Board of Directors were elected: Irene De La Torre of Puerto Rico and Sandra Oyarzo Torres of Chile. Suriname was named the location for ICM's America's Regional Conference in 2015.

Upcoming events include the Regional Conference in Suriname in 2015, The 2017 Triennial Congress in Toronto, Canada, and the 2020 Triennial Congress in Bali, Indonesia.

Please explore the ICM website, the USMERA report on the NACPM website and write to us with your comments and ideas at executivedirector@nacpm.org.