Midwives Voices, Midwives Demands
Midwives have been present in the lives of women since time immemorial
They continue to stand with women at every stage of life , providing comprehensive reproductive health care throughout pregnancy and child birth. From prenatal counseling, antenatal care, child birth and postnatal care, midwives are ever present in that crucial journey of mothers that sees new life brought forth. Midwives, too, play the role of advocates of women’s rights since they are exposed to the inequities and inequalities facing women in their day to-day work and are best placed to voice their clients’ needs to those in decision making regarding women’s reproductive health care. They are the most important frontline health worker during the critical period of labor, delivery and postdelivery for a mother, her newborn, family and broader society.
Armed with the What Women Want campaign results that “Increase, competent and better-supported midwives” was a top priority for women and girls around Kenya. For many women and girls in Kenya, midwives are intimately connected to their other top concerns. This includes “respectful and dignified care” and “timely and attentive care.’’ In late 2021, We launched Midwives’ Voices, Midwives’ Demands. The listening exercise set out to hear directly from midwives about their needs and wants, including what matters most to them, and bring that knowledge and pressure to bear on policymakers as they consider midwifery investments.
