A midwife supporting a pregnant woman, symbolizing hope and family.

Midwifery in 2024: How to Empower Women and Transform Lives

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Lena Kashyap in Health & Wellness August 2025 • 4 min read.

"Lesley Page reflects on the profound impact of midwifery and its potential to shape a healthier, more equitable world."


The start of a new year presents an opportunity to reflect on past achievements and envision the future. For midwives, this reflection is particularly poignant, as their work is deeply intertwined with new beginnings and the promise of a healthier world. Lesley Page shares her insights on the evolving role of midwifery and its potential to create lasting change.

Each birth represents a new life entering the world, carrying with it the potential for health, productivity, and positive change. Midwives play a crucial role in nurturing this potential, breaking cycles of neglect, poverty, and violence, and fostering love, strong relationships, and family integrity. As we navigate the complexities of the modern world, the importance of their work cannot be overstated.

In a world marked by division, inequality, and displacement, midwives offer a beacon of hope. Their dedication makes a significant difference in the lives of babies, mothers, and families, contributing to a more connected and compassionate society. It's crucial to recognize and support the vital role midwives play in building a better future for all.

The Central Role of Midwives: Empowering Women and Families

A midwife supporting a pregnant woman, symbolizing hope and family.

At the heart of midwifery lies a commitment to the well-being of women, babies, and families. Each midwife has the power to contribute to a healthy start in life, fostering secure bonds of love and family integrity. Despite organizational challenges, the individual midwife's impact remains profound. Midwives are uniquely positioned to make a difference, offering compassionate care, empowering women to make informed choices, and advocating for their rights.

As midwives, our resolutions should focus on ensuring respectful, woman-centered care that recognizes each woman's autonomy and right to choose where she receives care and gives birth. It's essential to strive for the highest level of midwifery skill, providing compassionate and knowledgeable support throughout the journey. By working in partnership with women, midwives can foster joy, reduce anxiety, and promote optimal well-being.

  • Ensure every woman receives respectful care that recognizes her autonomy and choices.
  • Provide the highest level of midwifery skill through education and compassion.
  • Work in partnership with women and families to promote well-being.
  • Reduce the effects of poverty, social inequalities, and over-intervention.
  • Contribute to a culture change that supports midwives in doing their best.
Moreover, midwives are instrumental in reducing the effects of poverty, social inequalities, and the harms of over-intervention. By advocating for policies that support women and families, and by providing culturally sensitive care, midwives can help to create a more equitable and just society. A system-wide change will support midwives to provide the best care possible.

Transforming Healthcare: The Future of Midwifery

Midwives are uniquely positioned to improve health outcomes, save lives, and support the best possible start in life. By working collaboratively and advocating for evidence-based practices, midwives can drive positive change in healthcare systems worldwide. Now more than ever, there is a perfect opportunity to jump-off and ensure that everyone is giving their best.

In the UK, innovative policies like the National Maternity Review's Better Births initiative are paving the way for transformative change in England, with new policies expected in Scotland. Globally, midwifery programs are demonstrating their value in saving lives, reducing interventions, and improving the quality of care. A creative, skilled, and knowledgable profession is able to transform.

Wherever you work, reflect on your approaches, use your skills and knowledge, and advocate for the potential of midwifery. Be respectful, not only to women and families but also to your colleagues. Value yourself and your work, and remember that the work you do is of utmost importance. Your work is powerful and will ripple out into the world and through generations.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.12968/bjom.2017.25.1.6, Alternate LINK

Title: New Year And The Promise Of New Life

Subject: Maternity and Midwifery

Journal: British Journal of Midwifery

Publisher: Mark Allen Group

Authors: Lesley Page

Published: 2017-01-02

Everything You Need To Know

1

What is midwifery and why is it important?

Midwifery is a healthcare profession focused on providing care to women during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. It extends to the care of newborns as well. It's important because midwives are uniquely positioned to empower women, improve health outcomes, and drive positive change in communities worldwide. The role of a midwife is crucial for ensuring respectful, woman-centered care, fostering joy, and reducing anxiety.

2

How do midwives empower women, and what are the implications?

Midwives empower women by offering compassionate care and advocating for their rights. They work in partnership with women to promote well-being, reduce the effects of poverty, and social inequalities. The implications of this empowerment include improved health outcomes for mothers and babies, stronger families, and a more equitable society. This is done through informed choices and autonomy.

3

How do midwives contribute to building a better future, and what are the implications?

Midwives contribute to building a better future by nurturing new life, breaking cycles of neglect, poverty, and violence, and fostering love and family integrity. They play a key role in reducing the effects of social inequalities and over-intervention. The implications are profound: healthier communities, a more connected society, and a world where every child has the opportunity for a healthy start. This is achieved by providing culturally sensitive care.

4

What is the central role of midwives, and what are the implications of this role?

The central role of midwives lies in their commitment to the well-being of women, babies, and families. They provide compassionate care and knowledgeable support, ensuring respectful, woman-centered care. By working in partnership, midwives foster joy and promote optimal well-being. The implications of this role are significant, leading to positive change in healthcare systems worldwide and contributing to a more compassionate society. This involves ensuring autonomy and the right to choose where and how care is provided.

5

How do midwives transform healthcare, and what are the implications?

Midwives are instrumental in transforming healthcare by improving health outcomes and supporting the best possible start in life. They advocate for evidence-based practices, working collaboratively to drive positive change within healthcare systems. The implication of this transformation is a healthier, more equitable world where every woman receives the care and support she needs, and where midwives are supported in doing their best work. They work to reduce over-intervention and promote a culture change that supports the midwives.

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