International Confederation of Midwives ICM
ICM
ICM has been the global voice of midwives and midwives’ associations for more than 100 years.
ID: 087227899209-30
Lobbying Activity
Response to Gender Equality Strategy 2026-2030
8 Aug 2025
Midwives are more than healthcare professionals they are champions of gender equality. Recognising and investing in their role is one of the most transformative actions the EU can take to build just, inclusive, and resilient societies. Midwives are the key to advancing gender equality through their essential role in five key pillars, described below with subsequent recommendations. We also note that the current version of the strategy does not mention midwives or SRMNAH. Midwives address Gender-Based Violence (GBV), so women can live a life free from violence and stereotypes a) Integrate midwives within the Strategy and promote midwives as central actors in tackling GBV, especially obstetric violence. b) The Strategy should take an intersectional approach, and especially address issues facing women and girls living in rural areas, and in the asylum and migration area. c) The Strategy should mention safe and decent working conditions for all female health workers, which are free from violence, harassment and discrimination in accordance with the ILO. Midwives save lives, defend sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), and promote womens bodily autonomy a) The Strategy must include a dedicated section to womens health, especially sexual and reproductive health and rights, and highlight midwives as one of the critical professions to ensuring women can achieve these rights. b) Prioritise funding for midwife-led, woman-centred care in EU development cooperation. c) The Strategy should support funding for womens human rights, its defenders, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and efforts to curb sexual and gender-based violence at home and throughout the world, including in fragile, conflict and emergency situations. This is a strategy to ensure peace, prosperity, economic and social and development. Midwives increase womens leadership and decision-making, so women can lead equally throughout society a) Integrate midwives within the Strategy and promote midwives as central actors in enabling womens leadership in the health and social sector, to achieve gender equality. b) Integrate midwifery strengthening into EU Global Health and Gender Programming to ensure SRMNAH is prioritised at all levels Midwives ensure women can thrive in a gender-equal economy by increasing female workforce participation, improving womens financial independence, and unlocking macro-economic growth a) Integrate midwives within the EU Gender Equality strategy and promote midwives as central actors in contributing to a gender-equal economy by increasing female workforce participation, improving womens financial independence, and unlocking macro-economic growth: b) Noting dire funding cuts, it is critical that the EU and Member States continue to finance and embed gender equality for peace, prosperity and economic growth, with earmarked funding going towards woman-led and woman-serving health interventions. c) Prioritise midwifery workforce expansion in EU Gender and Employment Strategies: d) Enforce equal pay and leadership opportunities in health systems: Midwives address gender-bias in science, research, and innovations, ensuring that women are centered in healthcare a) Integrate midwives within the Strategy and promote midwives as central actors in addressing gender equality in health research. b) Invest in data systems to track progress on gendered health indicators and workforce equity. c) Noting funding cuts across the EU, member states must continue to fund initiatives aimed at closing the womens health gap, such as Horizon Europe and Euro-Peristat, and specifically earmark funding for woman-centred and midwife-led innovations. d) Encourage the inclusion of midwives in Femtech and Health Startups through PublicPrivate Partnerships
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