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Toolkit/Tool

International Day of the Midwife (IDM) 2025 Toolkit

Advocacy
Last Edited 30 April 2025 11:56 CEST
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Why Celebrate IDM 2025?

This year’s theme is “Midwives: Critical in Every Crisis”. With natural disasters, conflicts, and climate change disproportionately affecting women, girls, and gender-diverse people, midwives are trusted first responders within their communities, who can prepare health systems to be ready for any crisis. Despite their expertise, midwives are often excluded from crisis planning, limiting their ability to advocate for essential sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, and adolescent health (SRMNAH) services. IDM 2025 is a call to action for greater recognition, inclusion, and support for midwives in crisis response efforts. 

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What’s in the Toolkit?

This year’s toolkit provides practical resources to help midwives, midwives’ associations, and partners advocate for midwives as essential crisis responders. It includes: 

  • Key Messages and Background Information – Learn about midwives’ critical role in crises and share our advocacy messages and calls to action. 
  • Printable Posters – Ready-to-use materials to promote IDM in your community. 
  • Social Media Tiles, Covers, and Editable Templates – Share ready-to-use visuals or personalise the templates by adding your own language and images. 
  • List of IDM Events – A global overview of IDM celebrations, including how to submit your own event. 

How to Use the Toolkit 

We encourage you to: 

  • Download and share the key messages and materials. 
  • Adapt and translate the content to reflect your language and local context. 
  • Personalise with local images to highlight midwifery in your community. 
  • Share the advocacy video to spread awareness about the vital role of midwives in crisis settings. 

Join the Global IDM Celebration 

ICM is hosting a special IDM event on 5 May 2025, bringing together midwives, experts, and advocates to highlight midwives’ contributions in crisis settings. You can find more details about the event here. 

We also invite midwives and midwives’ associations to submit their IDM events through the link in the toolkit. By sharing your event, you contribute to a global movement advocating for midwives as critical in every crisis. 

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ICM Policy

Member Code of Conduct

Last Edited 16 April 2025 17:54 CEST
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Purpose

The ICM Code of Conduct outlines how Member Associations (MAs) should behave, promoting professional and supportive relationships between ICM and its members. It supports our mission to strengthen midwives’ associations and to advance the profession of midwifery globally.

Member Associations that breach this Code of Conduct may be warned, suspended or terminated according to the rules set out in the ICM Constitution and Governance Policies.

Scope

The Board of ICM has adopted this Code of Conduct. It applies to each Member Association and its executives, members, staff and/or representatives.

The executives and any staff of an MA are responsible for promoting and upholding the Code of Conduct within their association. It is the President’s specific responsibility to ensure that the Code is implemented and adhered to.

Appropriate conduct

Each Member Association, its executives, members, and/or
representatives shall:

  1. Abide by the ICM Constitution, Governance Policies and all policies adopted by the organisation.
  2. Always behave professionally when engaged on ICM business. This includes ICM events, communications, projects and programmes, and all dealings with ICM Head Office staff (employees, contractors and consultants), ICM Board Members, fellow Member Associations, and partners.
  3. Be responsive to requests from the ICM Board or ICM Head Office.
  4. Respect confidentiality and observe the privacy of confidential information, which includes, but is not limited to, all non-public information relating to ICM, other Member Associations and partners.
  5. Comply with all laws in the jurisdiction within which the Member Association operates.
  6. Act honestly and treat everyone with dignity and respect, creating an environment that values diversity and prevents harassment, abuse or exploitation.
  7. Ensure that MA policies protect the rights of members and staff and that there are ways to report and address behaviour that breaches the rights of members or staff if it takes place within the organisation.
  8. Respect fellow Member Associations, acting professionally in all interactions.
  9. Inform ICM if any of their executives or staff members are being charged with a criminal offence or are the subject of a professional misconduct matter with their regulatory authority, including what steps the MA is taking in relation to the matter.

Member Associations, their executives, staff, members and/or representatives will not:

  1. Behave offensively, inappropriately or disruptively in ICM activities, events, communications, projects and programmes.
  2. Engage in threatening, demeaning or harassing behaviour of any kind in any interaction with ICM Board Members or Head Office staff (employees, contractors or consultants).
  3. Falsely represent having authority to speak for or act on behalf of ICM.
  4. Use any ICM trademark, name, logo or branding in an unauthorised way that suggests endorsement or a relationship that does not exist.
  5. Engage in any activity or conduct that might go against ICM’s vision, mission and values or take any action that could bring ICM into disrepute.
  6. Share malicious or harmful information or opinions about a fellow MA or ICM as an organisation.
  7. Accept from beneficiaries, partners, or contractors any favours, bribes or other forms of personal enrichment under any circumstances (as outlined in ICM’s Anti-fraud, Bribery and Corruption Policy).

Members’ Agreement

All members undertake to:

  1. Uphold the vision and mission of the Confederation
  2. Abide by the ICM Core Documents
  3. Implement the Strategy of the Confederation
  4. Fulfil their obligations as ICM Council delegates
  5. Comply with ICM policies including, but not limited to, governance policies, marketing and sponsorship, social media, safeguarding, misconduct, anti-fraud, bribery and corruption, anti-money laundering, this Code of Conduct and any other policy adopted by the organisation
  6. Pay their annual membership fee

Reporting and investigation

Any violations or suspected violations of the Code can be reported to the relevant ICM contact or to [email protected]. For further information on reporting and investigations refer to the Misconduct Policy and Procedure.

Sanctions

Failure to follow any of the rules mentioned above is considered a breach of the Code. Breaching the Code of Conduct, breaking other rules or policies, or engaging in actions that harm the interest or reputation of ICM may result in sanctions, including but not limited to a warning, suspension or termination of membership.

Warning

A warning may be issued if the Board decides that the breach of the Code of Conduct is not serious enough for suspension or termination. The warning will stay on record for three years and will be taken into consideration if any other violations of the Code of Conduct occur during that time.

Suspension

If the Board considers that an MA has breached the Code of Conduct and the breach is incompatible with continued membership, the Board will address the issue with the Council to invoke suspension of the MA by the Council.

If the MA is suspended, a clear action plan and timeline to address the circumstances that led to the breach should be defined and agreed between the Board and the Member Association. If the non-compliance is not addressed in the agreed timeline, the Board has the right to terminate membership, in line with the ICM Constitution.

Any MA who has its membership suspended remains liable for its annual membership fee but cannot exercise its membership rights during the suspension.

The length of the suspension will be determined by the Council, on advisement of the Board, taking into consideration the type of breach and a reasonable timeframe to address it. It can be extended until a decision is made to lift the suspension or terminate membership. Should suspension last for longer than 12 months without the MA being able to demonstrate any progress, the Board has the right to terminate membership in line with the ICM Constitution.

The Council may instruct the Board that the Board can, at the Board’s discretion, lift the suspension if the MA provides sufficient evidence that the issue(s) have been addressed and that the MA has complied with any recommended changes.

Termination of Membership

Failure to adhere to this code may result in terminating membership on the grounds stated in Article 7 of the ICM Constitution either by the Council or by a decision of the Board due to disqualification1 of the MA.

Terminating membership may solely be carried out in writing, at the end of a calendar year and with a notice period of one month.

Membership may, however, be terminated immediately should, in all reasonableness, the membership not be allowed to continue.

Should a resolution be adopted to terminate membership, the MA concerned shall retain the right to appeal provided any such appeal is instituted within two months after the receipt of the notice to terminate, which appeal shall be required to be submitted to the Council at its next meeting.

The Member Association in question shall be notified within two months, in writing, as to the decision, together with reasons for making the decision. For the period during which any appeal is underway and pending the appeal, the MA in question shall be suspended.

Note

Termination of membership is a last resort. ICM’s objective is to work with its MAs to support them to strengthen their association and advance the profession of midwifery.

Review

This code will be reviewed every three years to ensure compliance with any changes in policy, best practice, and legislation, unless required earlier by law or organisational directives.

Other Related Documents

ICM Policy

ICM Constitution

ICM is bound by the provisions stated in the ICM Constitution incorporated under Dutch law and in its Governance Policies.
ICM Policy

ICM Governance Policies

Through our Governance Policies, ICM expresses the philosophy, accountability and specifics of our goals and the parameters in which we operate.
ICM Policy

Anti-Fraud, Bribery and Corruption Policy 

ICM is committed to the prevention of fraud, corruption, bribery and any other forms of dishonesty and will promote an anti-fraud, corruption and bribery culture. We take a zero-tolerance approach to fraud, bribery and corruption.
ICM Policy

Misconduct Policy and Procedure

This policy outlines procedures for reporting and addressing misconduct, including bullying, harassment, fraud, and bribery. Reports can be made by anyone and will be handled confidentially and investigated thoroughly.
ICM Policy

Whistleblowing Policy

This policy ensures that concerns regarding malpractice or wrongdoing on behalf of ICM and affiliated individuals and organisations, will be taken seriously and investigated.
ICM Policy

Safeguarding Policy and Procedure 

This policy ensures protection from harm, focusing on preventing abuse and exploitation. It applies to all ICM staff, contractors, and grantee partners.
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Report

The Midwifery Accelerator: expanding health care for women and newborns

Advocacy, Model of Care
ICM, Jhpiego, UNFPA, UNICEF, WHO
Last Edited 15 April 2025 23:47 CEST
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The Midwifery Accelerator is a unified, evidence-based global initiative co-led by UNFPA, WHO, UNICEF, and the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), alongside Jhpiego, national governments, funders, civil society, academia, the private sector, and other key stakeholders.

 

Investing in midwives is a cost-effective and sustainable strategy to improve maternal and newborn health and well-being and reduce mortality. There is ample evidence to show that care provided by midwives is women centric, significantly advances maternal and newborn health outcomes, strengthens health systems, and helps build future healthier generations. Investments in quality midwifery care can help accelerate progress towards the achievement of sustainable development goals for health (SDG3) and gender equality (SDG5). Educated and regulated midwives can deliver 90% of essential sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, and adolescent health services. Achieving universal coverage of care provided by midwives can help avert almost two thirds of maternal and newborn deaths and stillbirths. This translates to over 4.3 million lives saved per year by 2035.

As countries strive to make the most of limited resources, midwifery models of care offer a proven, cost-effective and sustainable solution to achieve the best possible health outcomes. Investing in midwife-provided care yields substantial economic and social benefits, with a return of $16 for every $1 invested. Despite their huge impact, midwives form only 10% of the global sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, and adolescent health workforce and the potential of midwifery models of care remains persistently unrecognised and underutilised. As a result, the world continues to face a deficit of 900,000 midwives. Chronic and systemic underfunding, increased medicalisation and routine use of unnecessary interventions, further hindered by gender barriers in the health system and societies at large are major barriers to improving midwifery care.

The Midwifery Accelerator is a unified, evidence-driven global initiative aimed at significantly improving maternal and newborn health outcomes by scaling up midwifery models of care globally. It’s a coalition of UN health agencies (UNFPA, WHO, UNICEF) and International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), Jhpiego, governments, funders, civil society, academia, private sector and other key stakeholders working together to integrate high-quality midwifery services into national health systems. This accelerator offers governments, funding partners and stakeholders a clear set of common, high-level priorities to align efforts, optimize investments and achieve measurable impact. Seven high-level priority actions are organized in three pillars as follows:

  • Pillar 1: Commit – Invest: Strengthen policy frameworks, and increase domestic and global investments.
  • Pillar 2: Educate – Deploy – Retain: Ensure quality education and professional development for midwives; deploy midwives strategically and retain midwives by creating a safe, supportive and accountable workplace.
  • Pillar 3: Advocate – Empower: Build midwife leadership, strengthen coalitions and amplify voices of women and communities for effective advocacy and accountability.

This Midwifery Accelerator builds on the Global Position Paper on Transitioning to Midwifery Models of Care that outlines “why” this investment is crucial. The Midwifery Implementation Guidance provides step-by-step details on “how” these priority actions can be effectively implemented.

This accelerator also aligns governments and partners around shared programme goals, and strategies to ensure sustainable impact at scale. It sets a strong global advocacy agenda to share best practices, and reinforce political commitments and financing.

This accelerator contributes towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular relevant targets under SDG 3 (health and wellbeing) and SDG 5 (gender equality). In recognition that every health system is unique in how services are organized and delivered, financed, regulated and governed, the accelerators offer a set of priorities, and countries need to adapt their actions to their specific context. In line with the Every Woman Every Newborn Everywhere initiative, this accelerator builds a powerful coalition to ensure safe, respectful, and high-quality before, during and after pregnancy, childbirth and beyond to dramatically improve health and well-being outcomes for all women and newborns.

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Core Document, Definition / Glossary

Transitioning to midwifery models of care: global position paper

Model of Care
ICM, UNFPA, UNICEF, WHO
Last Edited 15 April 2025 23:36 CEST
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The “Transitioning to Midwifery Models of Care: Global Position Paper” is released by the World Health Organization (WHO), in collaboration with the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and UNICEF. Developed under the WHO Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing, and with contributions from technical departments, regional offices, and a broad network of stakeholders, the paper reflects a global consensus on the value of midwifery-led care.

 

The “Transitioning to Midwifery Models of Care: Global Position Paper” is a comprehensive document produced by the World Health Organization (WHO) Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent health and ageing, under the Strategic Technical Advisory Group of Experts for Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent health and nutrition (STAGE), in collaboration with WHO technical departments, regional offices and numerous stakeholders.

 

In the pursuit of providing high-quality health services to improve health and well-being for all in the context of Universal Health Coverage, transitioning to midwifery models of care represents a cost-effective strategy to optimize outcomes for women and newborns with minimal use of unnecessary interventions. This position paper offers an international definition, describes the guiding principles of midwifery models of care and reviews the advantages of adopting these models of care. It highlights the significant role and impact that midwives can have within health systems, while recognising the importance of collaborative and integrated care where various professionals jointly contribute to providing high-quality maternal and newborn health services.

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Toolkit/Tool

Professional Association Strengthening Manual

Association
ACOG, American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Nurse-Midwives, Honor Society of Nursing, ICM
Last Edited 14 April 2025 11:41 CEST
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In collaboration with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), and others Health Professional Associations, the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) developed this resource to support midwives and obstetricians in delivering high-quality, collaborative care. This resource is a reference for advancing interdisciplinary practice and improving maternal and newborn health outcomes.

These modules are designed to fill a gap in materials useful to professional associations. They contain materials for strengthening the infrastructure of a professional association, enhancing its value to members, and increasing its effect within the health system and society.

Instead of a prescribed and linear training model, these modules offer a different approach to association strengthening. They offer content, examples, tools, and activities useful across the developmental spectrum of associations, from nascent to mature.

Where to Start

Begin with a conversation with the leadership of your professional association. Decide on your priorities and identify which modules you want to review. If you are a new association you may choose to use all of the modules to help you develop from the beginning. More mature associations may decide to focus on one or more areas for growth.

This modular approach:

  • Focuses on association self-assessment and current goals
  • Offers a range of topics that associations can explore for themselves
  • Includes easy to use materials that don’t require professional facilitation or may be used with a facilitator

 

Access the modules now
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Guide

Twinning for Midwives

Association, Mentoring
ICM
Last Edited 18 March 2025 18:34 CET
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What is Twinning?

Twinning is a cross-cultural, reciprocal process in which two groups collaborate to achieve shared goals. Recognised as an effective method for enhancing the quality of care provided by midwives, twinning strengthens leadership capacity and empowers midwives to drive change within health systems. It requires equal bilateral investment and fosters intercultural exchange and communication between partners, whether between midwives’ associations from different countries, within the same country, between regional groups, or even between two individual midwives.

How to Use this Guide?

This guide is divided into two main sections:

  • Part 1 covers the theory behind twinning, explaining what it is, why it is impactful, how to start a twinning project, how to maintain momentum, and the key steps involved. It includes real-life experiences from midwives and midwives’ associations who share what twinning has meant to them, why they embarked on it, and how they approached it—offering inspiration and practical insights.
  • Part 2 contains the Twinning Kit, which provides all the necessary logistical documents to help you launch a twinning project. These examples are designed to be adapted to your specific context, with tables filled in as guides rather than fixed templates, allowing you to personalise the content as needed.
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Policy Brief

Implementing Midwife-Led Birth Centres 

Midwife-Led Birth Centres
ICM
Last Edited 29 January 2025 13:54 CET
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A midwife-led birthing centre (MLBC) is a dedicated space – either within or separate from a higher-level health facility – where care is provided for pregnant women and newborns at low risk of complications. MLBCs must be integrated into the local health care services, so that midwives can consult and refer women to secondary and tertiary level services if needed. As a minimum, MLBCs provide care during labour and birth, but may also provide antenatal, immediate postnatal care and sexual and reproductive health care.

Midwives are essential providers of primary health care and can play a major role in the provision of universal health care. Midwives are key providers of sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn and adolescent health care. One way for midwives to provide care is through MLBC. MLBCs essentially provide primary level care with criteria describing the level of care provided and guidelines to manage referral to secondary or tertiary level care. 

ICM’s MLBC study was undertaken in four countries – Uganda, South Africa, Bangladesh and Pakistan. This Brief outlines the key findings, presents the Pathway to Change which highlights the processes and mechanisms needed to scale up MLBCs and provides a series of actions to support successful implementation of MLBCs.

Case Studies

Midwife-led birthing centres in four countries: a case study.

The findings of this study have significant implications for improving maternal and neonatal health outcomes, strengthening healthcare systems, and promoting the role of midwives in LMICs. Understanding factors for success can contribute to inform policies and decision making as well as design tailored maternal and newborn health programmes that can more effectively support midwives and respond to population needs. At an international level, it can contribute to shape guidelines and strengthen the midwifery profession in different settings.

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Which low- and middle-income countries have midwife-led birthing centres and what are the main characteristics of these centres? A scoping review and scoping survey.

This study provides up-to-date evidence about which countries have MLBCs, and some information about the characteristics of MLBCs in LMICs. Low- and lower-middle-income countries were more likely than upper-middle-income countries to have MLBCs. The most common type of MLBC was freestanding. Public-sector midwife-led birthing centres were more common in middle-income than in low-income countries. Some were staffed entirely by midwives and some by a multidisciplinary team. We identified challenges to the midwifery philosophy of care, legislative and regulatory requirements, and effective referral systems.

The peer-reviewed literature does not provide a comprehensive picture of the locations and characteristics of MLBCs in LMICs. Many of our findings echo those from high-income countries, but some appear to be specific to some or all LMICs. The study highlights knowledge gaps, including a lack of evidence about the impact and costs of MLBCs in LMICs.

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Exploring networks of care in implementing midwife-led birthing centres in low- and middle-income countries: A scoping review.

This review brings together available empirical evidence about MLBCs in LMICs using a NOC framework. The NOC framework facilitated the identification of gaps and can eventually be adapted for use as an assessment tool to address gaps and overcome barriers in similar settings or may help to develop strategies for implementing sustainable MLBCs successfully.

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Midwife-led birthing centres in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Uganda: An economic evaluation of case study sites.

MLBCs offer a potentially cost-effective model of care for providing safe and high-quality care to women giving birth in LMICs. However, the cost of operating an MLBC varies greatly, and this does affect cost-effectiveness. Further research, including prospective evaluation of implementation of new MLBCs, is recommended to confirm the results produced in our study.

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Exploring networks of care in implementing midwife-led birthing centres in low- and middle-income countries: A scoping review.

This review brings together available empirical evidence about MLBCs in LMICs using a NOC framework. The NOC framework facilitated the identification of gaps and can eventually be adapted for use as an assessment tool to address gaps and overcome barriers in similar settings or may help to develop strategies for implementing sustainable MLBCs successfully.

Learn more
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Report

Interlocked: Midwives and the Climate Crisis

Humanitarian and Climate Change
ICM
Last Edited 29 November 2024 14:02 CET
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Midwives are uniquely positioned to address the health challenges of climate change. This report explores their experiences as trusted, community-based first responders and highlights their critical role in building climate-resilient health systems. 

The report calls on governments and policymakers to integrate midwives into national climate response strategies. By doing so, midwives can advocate for and secure the resources needed to create more resilient health systems and provide essential care during climate disasters. 

Key Findings:  

  • Climate change is damaging community health: 75% of midwives reported that climate change is harming the communities they serve, with rising rates of preterm births, food insecurity, and restricted access to care during disasters like floods. 
  • Midwives are critical first responders: Midwives are often the first and only healthcare providers on the ground in crises, delivering care during wildfires, floods, and extreme heat. 
  • Midwives face significant challenges: Many midwives reported stress, burnout, and even displacement due to climate disasters, with 76% agreeing that the climate crisis has negatively impacted their work. 
  • Midwives need more support: Survey respondents called for training, resources, and inclusion in climate preparedness plans to strengthen their ability to respond to growing challenges. 
  • Midwifery care is inherently sustainable: By reducing unnecessary interventions and providing care closer to home, midwives lower the carbon footprint of healthcare services and support climate-resilient health systems. 

 

We would like to thank Human Rights Watch for their collaboration on this report. 

It is hard to remain hopeful in a context where science demonstrates that we have a tiny window to act, but our leaders are not taking the necessary action.

— Midwife from Canada
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Statement

Obstetric Violence, Mistreatment, and Violence Against Women in Reproductive Health Services 

Human Rights, Respectful Maternity Care
ICM
Last Edited 22 November 2024 05:18 CET
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Obstetric violence during childbirth, mistreatment and violence against women who are seeking sexual and reproductive health services, are serious human rights violations, as well as a recognised form of gender-based violence (1). As such, they must be examined in the context of human (and reproductive) rights, not as a matter of quality of care (2). While these rights violations can affect all women of reproductive age, gender diverse people and women from marginalised and racialised communities are disproportionately impacted (3,4). 

While the specific terminology is debated by health professionals, the United Nation’s Special Rapporteur for Violence Against Women has adopted the term obstetric violence when referring to violence experienced by women during facility-based childbirth, and the term mistreatment and violence against women in reproductive health services when referring to violence experienced when women are seeking other forms of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services (4). 

The midwifery model of care is practised by midwives in many settings including in midwife- and obstetric-led facility-based childbirth. However, many midwives provide facility-based care during childbirth according to the obstetric model of care.  The ICM Philosophy and Model of Midwifery Care is grounded in an understanding of the social, emotional, cultural, spiritual, psychological and physical experiences of women (5). As a result, ICM has decided to adopt the terminology used globally by human rights’ bodies and women’s groups, and to use the term obstetric violence to refer to violence experienced by women during facility-based childbirth. Importantly, this term places the experiences, needs and wishes of women at the same level as those of health professionals (6). 

Although the English terminology may suggest that obstetric violence is committed by obstetricians, in other languages the term is more encompassing of a broader range of professionals that provide facility-based maternity services, including midwives. As with all forms of violence, the only way to end it is to name and define it, and provide the opportunity to question and improve the way health systems and individual health providers approach care during childbirth (6). 

 

What is obstetric violence? 

Obstetric violence refers to the mistreatment of women during childbirth, which can manifest in various forms. It includes physical violence, loss of autonomy; being subjected to any clinical intervention without appropriate informed consent; being shouted at, scolded, humiliated, or threatened; and being ignored, refused, or receiving no response to requests for help (4). It may also include non-evidence-based practices, such as routine episiotomy and lack of access to physiological birth (1). Disrespect, mistreatment and obstetric violence has an impact on women, and has been associated with birth trauma, postpartum depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, negative implications on sexuality, exacerbated risks of complications during childbirth, and distrust in the health system resulting in unwillingness to seek medical care (1). 

 

Causes of obstetric violence 

As with all forms of gender-based violence, obstetric violence is widespread and systemic in nature. Obstetric violence is structural and intersectional, rooted in complex political, social and medical contexts, enabled, or discouraged, by working conditions, financial pressures, professional hierarchies and educational programmes (6). It is connected to structural problems that generally impact the provision of maternity services, including under resourcing, staff and equipment shortages, poor working conditions, and a lack of guidance and clear policies (4). Discriminatory attitudes also play a role, especially harmful gender stereotypes on women’s decision-making competence, women’s role in society and motherhood (1, 4). Obstetric violence is an intersectional issue, that disproportionately affects marginalised and racialised communities in all settings, particularly Black, Indigenous and women of colour, due to systemic racism embedded in health systems (7). 

 

Addressing obstetric violence 

Obstetric violence is a multi-faceted complex phenomenon which requires a multidimensional approach and contributions from different disciplines, including midwives (8). ICM has prepared numerous resources on providing respectful care, signed on to initiatives on implementing respectful maternity services, and has embedded human rights principles in its standards (9), resources (10), and work with midwives’ associations. ICM is also working with stakeholders and other professional organisations to meaningfully engage in making the changes necessary to improve the culture of maternity, sexual and reproductive health services (11, 12). 

 

Recommendations 

ICM urges policymakers to allocate enough resources so that midwives and other healthcare workers are enabled to provide quality, accessible maternal, sexual and reproductive healthcare.  

ICM urges midwives’ associations and policymakers to develop policies and practices that meaningfully involve women’s groups and members of civil society organisations in decisions about maternity services including the design, planning, delivery and evaluation of care. We also urge midwives’ associations to promote knowledge and dissemination of evidence-based care guidelines among students and professionals. 

ICM urges all decisionmakers in facilities that provide maternity, sexual and reproductive care services, to ensure accountability measures are established, including whistleblowing mechanisms for staff, and complaint and redress mechanisms for women. In-service training in respectful care should be mandatory and regular. 

ICM urges midwifery educators to include principles on human rights and preventing obstetric violence, mistreatment and violence against women in healthcare services in pre- and in-service curricula. 

ICM urges all those providing maternity, sexual and reproductive healthcare, including individual midwives, to work to ensure that this care is free from mistreatment and gender-based violence, and to ensure that women receive dignified and respectful care. This includes ensuring informed consent, respecting dignity, and guaranteeing confidentiality.  

ICM Related Documents

Core Document

Philosophy and Model of Midwifery Care

This document provides a universal, description of the philosophy and model of midwifery care, without compromising local or regional characteristics of midwifery care.
Core Document

Essential Competencies for Midwifery Practice

The essential competences for the practice of midwifery describe the minimum set of knowledge, skills and professional behaviours required by an individual to use the title of midwife as defined by the ICM.
Guide

12 Steps to Safe and Respectful MotherBaby-Family Maternity Care

This guide provides clear steps for implementing evidence-based maternity care worldwide. The implementation of the 12 steps will lead to better health and wellness for mothers and their babies.
Toolkit/Tool

RESPECT Toolkit

The RESPECT toolkit has everything you need on how to run a workshop on Respectful Maternity Care for midwives

References 

  1. Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls. Report on a human-rights based approach to mistreatment and obstetric violence during childbirth [Internet]. Ohchr.org. 2019 [cited 2024 Oct 24]. Available from: https://www.ohchr.org/en/calls-for-input/report-human-rights-based-approach-mistreatment-and-obstetric-violence-during 
  2. Williams CR, Meier BM. Ending the abuse: the human rights implications of obstetric violence and the promise of rights-based policy to realise respectful maternity care. Sex Reprod Health Matters [Internet]. 2019;27(1):1691899. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/26410397.2019.1691899 
  3. Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly. Obstetrical and gynaecological violence-Resolution 2306 (2019) [Internet]. 2019 [cited 2024 Oct 24]. Available from: https://pace.coe.int/en/files/28236/html
  4. A human rights-based approach to mistreatment and violence against women in reproductive health services with a focus on childbirth and obstetric violence [Internet]. 2019 Jul. Available from: https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/n19/213/27/pdf/n1921327.pdf 
  5. Schantz C, Quattrocchi P, van der Waal R, Villarmea S, Rozée V. Obstetric violence: abuse during childbirth is widespread, but the first step to fighting it is naming it. The Conversation [Internet]. 2024 Oct 2 [cited 2024 Oct 24]; Available from: http://theconversation.com/obstetric-violence-abuse-during-childbirth-is-widespread-but-the-first-step-to-fighting-it-is-naming-it-235161
  6. Taylor MA, Glowacki EM. The language of women’s pain: Ideology and critical cultural competencies in pain literacy. Front Commun [Internet]. 2020;5. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2020.00036 
  7. Sadler M, Santos MJ, Ruiz-Berdún D, Rojas GL, Skoko E, Gillen P, et al. Moving beyond disrespect and abuse: addressing the structural dimensions of obstetric violence. Reprod Health Matters [Internet]. 2016;24(47):47–55. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rhm.2016.04.002
  8. The health-care professional associations’ response to the honoring women’s demands paper [Internet]. PMNCH; 2024 [cited 2024 Oct 24]. Available from: https://internationalmidwives.org/resources/the-health-care-professional-associations-response-to-the-honoring-womens-demands-paper/ 

 

Additional Literature 

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Guide

Using the Essential Competencies in a Midwifery Curriculum

Education, Essential Competencies, MPath
ICM
Last Edited 13 November 2024 17:28 CET
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This resource provides information on how to integrate the ICM Essential Competencies for Midwifery Practice (2024) into a midwifery education programme. It also reviews how to design learning activities and assessments for a competency-based curriculum.

The ICM competencies help guide what students do in the classroom and clinical practice and should be developed progressively in the midwifery programme. For example, the knowledge component is normally introduced in a theory module and then drawn on in the clinical and practical modules that focus on the development of skills, attitudes and behaviours. Integrating the ICM competencies throughout the programme ensures that midwifery students have opportunities for practice, meaningful feedback and the achievement of becoming a competent midwife.

When the ICM competencies are integrated into the learning outcomes, learning activities and assessments, the faculty and learners can feel confident that they are meeting them.

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Core Document

Essential Competencies for Midwifery Practice

The essential competences for the practice of midwifery describe the minimum set of knowledge, skills and professional behaviours required by an individual to use the title of midwife as defined by the ICM.
Midwife Talita Oseguera reviews information on a laptop during a general check up with Lacee Rodgers who is 32 weeks pregnant at Choices clinic. Memphis, Tennessee, USA.
Toolkit/Tool

Essential Competencies Curriculum Mapping Tool

The competency mapping tool enables faculty to align their Midwifery programmes, whether new or existing, with the Essential Competencies for Midwifery Practice.
A midwife demonstrates Method of Leopold Maneuvers to midwives participants at the workshop organized by Japan Academy of Midwifery in in Tokyo, Japan.
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Essential Competencies – Assessment Guide

This guide provides midwife educators with information on assessing the ICM Essential Competencies for Midwifery Practice. It contains an overview of competency-based assessment and examples of the most common assessments used in a midwifery curriculum.
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Global Standards for Midwifery Education – Companion Guidelines

This document serves as a companion to the ICM Standards for Midwifery Education, providing supplementary information and insights.
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Global Standards for Midwifery Education

The ICM Standards for Midwifery Education are an essential pillar of ICM’s efforts to strengthen midwifery worldwide by promoting high quality education programmes that prepare midwives who meet the ICM definition of a midwife.
A midwife Hotaru Tsuchida right and Yuka Yamamoto a midwifery university student left, teach Yoga lesson to a pregnant patient just before giving birth at Aiiku Hospital in Tokyo, Japan.
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Global Standards for Midwifery Education – Practical/Clinical Experience Supplementary Guide

This document contains advice to help midwifery educators meet the ICM Global Standards for Midwifery Education that pertain to practical/clinical experience.
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Midwifery Education Development Pathway (MPath)

The MPath resources provide midwife educators with practical tools and suggested strategies to strengthen pre-service midwifery education programs.
Back to Resources
Toolkit/Tool

Essential Competencies Curriculum Mapping Tool

Education, Essential Competencies, MPath
ICM
Last Edited 5 November 2024 08:17 CET
Download Resource
Midwife Talita Oseguera reviews information on a laptop during a general check up with Lacee Rodgers who is 32 weeks pregnant at Choices clinic. Memphis, Tennessee, USA.

The competency mapping tool enables faculty to align their Midwifery programmes, whether new or existing, with the ICM Essential Competencies for Midwifery Practice. Once faculty populate the tool, they can use a filtering feature to identify where these competencies are covered and locate any gaps in the curriculum. This tool also provides a view of how competencies are developed throughout the programme. It includes six sheets: the first is an instruction sheet, the second is an example based on the UNFPA sample midwifery curriculum, and sheets 4-6 allow faculty to input their programme’s learning outcomes. The sample sheets are equipped with filters, enabling users to explore and display the information in various ways.

 

This document is an Excel workbook. 

Learn more about how to use the mapping tool!

Related Resources

Core Document

Essential Competencies for Midwifery Practice

The essential competences for the practice of midwifery describe the minimum set of knowledge, skills and professional behaviours required by an individual to use the title of midwife as defined by the ICM.
Core Document

Global Standards for Midwifery Education

The ICM Standards for Midwifery Education are an essential pillar of ICM’s efforts to strengthen midwifery worldwide by promoting high quality education programmes that prepare midwives who meet the ICM definition of a midwife.
A midwife demonstrates Method of Leopold Maneuvers to midwives participants at the workshop organized by Japan Academy of Midwifery in in Tokyo, Japan.
Guide

Essential Competencies – Assessment Guide

This guide provides midwife educators with information on assessing the ICM Essential Competencies for Midwifery Practice. It contains an overview of competency-based assessment and examples of the most common assessments used in a midwifery curriculum.
Back to Resources
Guide

Essential Competencies – Assessment Guide

Essential Competencies, MPath
ICM
Last Edited 4 October 2024 09:11 CEST
Download Resource
A midwife demonstrates Method of Leopold Maneuvers to midwives participants at the workshop organized by Japan Academy of Midwifery in in Tokyo, Japan.

Introduction

Many midwife educators/teachers develop assessment strategies that must meet the needs of midwifery students and the curriculum. A challenge for midwifery educators is how to ensure that the assessment methods they choose accurately and reliably evaluate midwifery competencies.  The purpose of this guide is to provide direction for midwifery educators/teachers with a means to develop assessments that are reliable, valid, and consistent when evaluating students against the ICM Essential Competencies for Midwifery Practice (2024).

A primary goal for developing assessments is to develop strategies that focus on the quality of the learning and assessment experience. Research on the use and development of such assessment strategies recommends that learners be involved in:

  • making sense of new knowledge and skills, and developing understanding rather than simply learning a set of facts and information to be reproduced when required;
  • looking for what is significant, such as key concepts and principles, relationships between ideas, etc.;
  • relating new ideas to previous knowledge and experience;
  • finding the link between conceptual knowledge and real-world applications; and
  • employing higher order thinking skills through examining issues, clarifying problems, producing their own ideas and thinking critically.

Midwife educators/teachers benefit from understanding the assessment tools they use and how to adapt them to meet the requirements of the assessment task. This guide is designed to assist midwife faculty (midwife educators/teachers and clinical preceptors/teachers) to design practical assessments that inspire confidence in the quality of the evidence that is collected and the judgements that educators make based on that evidence.

ICM endorses a collaborative approach to assessment development, which means   including all faculty and relevant stakeholders (e.g., midwives’ associations, preceptors, midwifery service users, healthcare professionals working with midwives, etc.)  in the assessment development process. Creating buy-in and acceptance by all faculty is also important for the successful delivery of the assessments.

What is in this Guide?

This guide provides midwife educators with information on assessing the ICM Essential Competencies for Midwifery Practice. It contains an overview of competency-based assessment and examples of the most common assessments used in a midwifery curriculum.

The guide contains the following:

  • an introduction to competency-based assessment,
  • assessment guidelines when selecting and developing assessments based on the ICM Competencies, and a list of assessment resources.

Relevant Resources

If you haven’t already done so, we suggest you review the ICM Essential Competencies for Midwifery Practice and determine whether or not your midwifery programme addresses some or all of the competencies. Keep in mind that the competencies are not exhaustive and you may need to include other competencies based on the requirements within your context.

Core Document

Essential Competencies for Midwifery Practice

The essential competences for the practice of midwifery describe the minimum set of knowledge, skills and professional behaviours required by an individual to use the title of midwife as defined by the ICM.