Celebrating Midwives
- May 5, 2024
International Day of the Midwife is celebrated every year on 5 May. This year we want to thank and celebrate some of the midwives who are part of our ’90 at 90′ campaign. In our 90th anniversary year we are highlighting 90 of the nurse and midwife leaders in the FNF community, representing a range of roles working in diverse settings.
Read on to meet three of the fantastic midwives in the FNF community, hear the impact of leadership support on themselves and their communities, and find out what International Day of the Midwife means to them.
Dr Yana Richens is Director of Midwifery at Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust and is an FNF Scholar. Yana told us:
“Each year in May midwives around the world have the opportunity to pause and reflect on what being a midwife truly is, as midwives globally we are all joined by the connection with each other and to those women and families we have laughed with and sometimes cried with. International Day of the Midwife is that one special day that we reach out and support each other.”
Antonio Sierra is a Consultant Midwife at West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and is about to start his journey as an FNF Scholar later this month. Antonio told us:
“International Day of the Midwife is an opportunity for midwives across the globe to come together and celebrate our profession, the contributions we make in society and the crucial impact we have in the world. Midwives are at the core of historical, anthropological, political and economic narrative. We have traditionally guided birthing women & people and their families through childbirth. Our professional foundations are engraved in the roots of society itself. It is inspiring that this year’s theme places midwives at the core of climate change, prompting us to think about sustainable midwifery practice and encouraging us to be climate activists.
I feel truly honoured to call myself a midwife. I am privileged to be surrounded by the wisdom and compassion service user and members of the multidisciplinary team bring. As a Consultant Midwife, I am instrumental in ensuring the voice of women and birthing people with regards to their birth preferences and choices are truly heard. This helps us work together to personalise the care we provide, to help service users achieve positive and safe birth outcomes. I always aspire to lead with compassion and civility, enabling relationships at work and helping team members work cohesively, to lead with vision and achieve shared goals. After nearly 19 years working in healthcare, I believe I made the right career choice and I have no doubts I would still train to be a midwife, if I had to start all over again.”
Nafiza Anwar is North East London Equity and Equality Lead for NHS North East London LMNS and is the Director of the Association of South Asian Midwives CIC. We asked her about the importance of International Day of the Midwife and what it means to her and she told us:
“As a South Asian midwife in the UK, the International Day of the Midwife holds profound significance. It’s a day to celebrate the vital role midwives play in supporting women and families during one of life’s most transformative moments. For me, it’s about honoring cultural diversity within the field, bridging gaps in healthcare access, and advocating for maternal and infant well-being on a global scale. It’s a reminder of the power of compassionate care and the impact it has on individuals and communities worldwide.”
Join our 90 at 90 campaign
The campaign is running until our 90th anniversary on 5 July and we would love to be part of this. All we need is a photo and a quote, plus some details of the FNF programme you undertook or your connection to FNF. Please get in touch to join in!
Supporting Future Leaders
We are launching an anniversary fundraising campaign to raise £90,000 to support 90 student nurses and midwives, 90 early career nurses and midwives and 90 ward leaders and social care nurses. Please donate so we can reach our target by the end of our 90th anniversary year.