The Theme for International Day of the Midwife 2026: One Million More Midwives

If you have been following our work over the past couple of months, this announcement will likely feel familiar. One message has come through clearly and consistently across our advocacy, research, and campaigns: the world needs One Million More Midwives. 

Today, we are pleased to formally announce what many of you already suspected. One Million More Midwives is the official theme for International Day of the Midwife (IDM) 2026. 

We want this theme to be more than just a slogan. It is a shared demand, grounded in evidence and driven by the realities midwives and women face every day. Together we can make the International Day of the Midwife a key moment to take that demand to the global stage. 

Why One Million More Midwives? 

Midwives provide essential sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn and adolescent health services worldwide. They support women and gender diverse people before, during and after birth. They provide contraception, comprehensive abortion care, breastfeeding support, and ongoing care across the life course. Yet globally, there are not enough midwives, and many of the ones we do have are not enabled to work to their full scope of practice. 

A recently published research study lays out new global evidence that clearly shows the scale of the challenge. The findings confirm that without urgent investment in midwifery education, employment, regulation, and leadership, countries will continue to face severe workforce shortages. These gaps translate directly into poorer outcomes for women, newborns, and families, and place unnecessary strain on already stretched health systems. 

At the same time, the data is clear about the solution. When midwives are educated to international standards, properly regulated, fairly paid, and integrated into health systems, outcomes improve. Maternal and newborn deaths decrease. Unnecessary interventions are reduced. Care becomes more accessible, more respectful, and more cost effective. Investing in midwives is not only the right thing to do, it is one of the smartest investments a health system can make. 

One million midwives is the estimated workforce needed globally to meet essential health needs. Behind that number are real people, real communities, and real opportunities to transform care. 

IDM 2026: our moment to be heard 

Every year, International Day of the Midwife brings global attention to the profession. Media outlets, policymakers, partners, and communities are already thinking about midwives on 5 May. In 2026, that attention aligns directly with our most ambitious global campaign. 

International Day of the Midwife will be a major moment to push the One Million More Midwives petition and to collectively call on governments and decision-makers to act. Through the campaign, we are calling for: 

• Investment in and recognition of midwives as vital healthcare providers, and policies that enable them to work to their full scope of practice, delivering safe and respectful care to women, newborns, and families. 

• Education, skills development, and resourcing so midwives can deliver high-quality care in well-supported and enabling environments. 

• Strong midwifery leadership, ensuring midwives have influence over decisions that affect their work and communities, and the ability to collaborate equitably with other professionals to improve care for all. 

On International Day of the Midwife, the world is already listening. IDM 2026 is our opportunity to speak clearly, collectively, and with confidence about what must change. 

The IDM 2026 toolkit is coming 

To support your advocacy and celebrations, ICM will publish the official International Day of the Midwife 2026 toolkit on 16 March 2026. The toolkit will include graphics, design assets, key messages, and practical resources to help you plan events, engage with media, and promote the One Million More Midwives petition. 

As 5 May approaches, we will share more information about our official IDM event and the global events being hosted by our members. 

Gather signatures, win a spot at Congress 

The ICM Triennial Congress theme also focuses on One Million More Midwives. We want to recognise and celebrate midwives who are actively advancing this campaign. 

This contest is only for advocacy related to the One Million More Midwives petition. We are looking for examples of how you are actively driving signatures and promoting the petition. 

If you are organising activities to encourage people to sign the petition, sharing it online, displaying posters, engaging colleagues or students, or taking creative approaches to gather signatures, we want to hear from you. 

Submit what you are doing to push the petition forward through our short form. All entries submitted by 10 March 2026 will be entered into a raffle to win one of three free tickets to attend the ICM Congress (registration fee covered). The raffle will take place during a live broadcast on Instagram on 16 March 2026. 

Selected submissions may also be featured across ICM platforms, and some contributors may be invited to speak at an ICM event. 

Share your IDM events

We are looking forward to seeing how you will celebrate International Day of the Midwife 2026. We encourage you to submit your events through our event form. Submitted events will be featured on the official IDM toolkit page and the ICM events page, allowing others around the world to join, learn, and recognise the work happening in your community. 

This is our moment 

One Million More Midwives is a collective call, backed by evidence and shaped by the realities of care worldwide. International Day of the Midwife 2026 gives us the platform to make that call impossible to ignore. 

Together, let’s use it.