Journal of Reproductive Health and Contraception

Empowering Midwives to Promote Gender Equality in Maternity Care

According to the World Health Organization, reducing the gap in gender equality should be prioritized in all healthcare institutions. Becoming a new parent is a key transition point in the life course that presents important opportunities to address gender inequality. Key to addressing gender inequality is ensuring that all parents are actively engaged and included in antenatal and postnatal parent education. It is critical that both birthing and non-birthing parents are equally valued in the journey and that practice is inclusive of family diversity.
Baby Makes 3 (BM3) programs aim to influence practices, structures and systems that support couples to develop equal and respectful relationships and negotiate their identity and gendered roles in their transition to becoming parents for the first time.
The ultimate aim of BM3 is to contribute to the prevention of violence against women through gender transformative practice. In addition, BM3 works in these antenatal and postnatal settings to influence practices, structures and systems that reinforce the often rigid and gendered expectations of becoming parents.
The presentation will provide an overview of Carrington Health’s project ‘Strengthening Gender equality in Public Maternity Services’ and detail the work to specifically embed gender equity messages and approaches into areas of maternity care that influence women and families.

Author(s):

Marie Treloar 

Abstract | PDF

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