International Day of the Midwife: Theme for 2020 & details about previous themes

International Midwife Day is celebrated on the 5th of May every year, to appreciate the work of midwives. Midwives are women who have practical knowledge of helping pregnant women give birth. In the early times when there were no highly professional and equipped hospitals for pregnant ladies, they used to give birth to a child at home with the help of these midwives.

Home births, though less common now, are still popular and midwives play an essential role in ensuring that they go smoothly. To celebrate these brave women and respect their work, International Midwife Day is celebrated.

Also read | Rupert Grint Thanks Midwife For Her 'Gryffindor Behavior' Amid COVID-19 Crisis

Each year ICM (International Confederation of Midwives) comes up with a campaign theme to motivate its Member Associations, partners, and stakeholders to raise awareness about the status of midwives and the needed and crucial care they provide to mothers and their new-borns. This year in 2020, the International Confederation of Midwives’ theme is-

The theme for ICM 2020 is Midwives with women: celebrate, demonstrate, mobilise, unite – our time is NOW!

Also read | UN Chief Antonio Guterres Lauds Nurses, Midwives On World Health Day 2020

There have been several different themes over the years for International Midwives’ Day. Typically, a new theme will be set every year. However, there have been some years whereby themes continue onto the next. Some of the themes we have seen so far include:

• The World Needs Midwives Now More Than Ever
• Midwives Changing the World One Family at a Time
• Midwives: For a Better Tomorrow
• Women and Newborns: The Heart of Midwifery
• Midwives, Mothers, and Families: Partners for Life!
• Midwives: Defenders of Women’s Rights

Irrespective of the theme, there are three main aims when it comes to International Midwives’ Day. So, let’s take a look at those aims of ICM: 

• Inform everyone with an interest in both justice and health that midwives are critical in lowering neonatal and maternal mortality and morbidity. 
• Celebrate the achievements of midwives, as well as their contribution to improving newborn, maternal, reproductive, and sexual health outcomes. 
• Motivate policymakers to implement change by recognizing the unique professional role of a midwife, as well as lobbying for adequate midwifery resources. 

Also read | COVID-19: NHS Staff 'unite In Grief' After Midwife Dies From Deadly Virus

OBJECTIVES OF IDM (International Day of the Midwife)

• On May 5th each year, midwives, women, girls, partners, and supporters of midwives and midwifery globally come together to celebrate the International Day of the Midwife with their own activities, driven by one strong, collective voice.

• However you decide to celebrate, ICM encourages you to include one or all of the following key objectives in your plan to ensure the greatest possible impact on this important day.

Also read | UK's Duchess Of Cambridge Speaks With Parents, Midwives Amid COVID-19 Crisis