May 5 is the internationally recognized day for highlighting the work of midwives. ICM asks the world each year on May 5 to focus on the role of midwives and midwifery. Each year, with a motivational slogan, they call on everyone around the world to take action to promote midwifery. International Day of the Midwife #IDM2016 is a special opportunity for every midwife to think about others involved in the work process, for professions to connect with each other, and to expand knowledge about why midwives are important. In the years leading up to #IDM2015, the general slogan “The World Needs Midwives. Today More Than Ever,” was used to highlight the need for midwives.
This year’s slogan #ICM2016 is “Women and Newborns: The Heart of Midwifery.”
Midwives around the world work hard every day to provide women and newborns with the quality care they deserve. You can read more about #IDM2016 here.
ICM invites midwives to send photos of themselves with a newborn, a woman they are caring for, or to take photos together with colleagues to support their day. They look forward to photos, tweets, Facebook posts, blogs, articles, and more for 2016 IDM.
Read more about the International Day of the Midwife events in Slovenia, organized by midwifery students. HERE
International Day of the Midwife – IDM 2016
“May 5 is the internationally recognised day for highlighting the work of midwives. ICM established the idea of the ‘International Day of the Midwife’ following suggestions and discussion among Midwives Associations in the late 1980s, then launched the initiative formally in 1992.
On May 5 each year we ask the world to focus on the role of midwives and midwifery. Each year ICM comes up with a campaign theme to provide motivating call to action for all of us to get involved and champion our work. The International Day of the Midwife is an occasion for every individual midwife to think about the many others in the profession, to make new contacts within and outside midwifery, and to widen the knowledge of what midwives do for the world. In the years leading up to 2015, ICM is using the overarching theme “The World Needs Midwives Today More Than Ever” as part of an ongoing campaign to highlight the need for midwives. This reflects the WHO call for midwives and the need to accelerate progress towards MDGs 4 and 5.”
