Challenges
Perhaps the biggest struggle for midwives (and for all health
workers) is fighting sickness and death in women and their babies.
Every year, hundreds of thousands of women die in pregnancy and
during labor. Millions more are injured or disabled. Most of these
deaths and injuries happen to women who are poor — who do not
have enough food, or safe homes, or adequate medical care.
Most of the midwives of the world live in poor communities,
and many are themselves not paid a livable wage. The people of
each community must
show midwives how
important their work is
by supporting them in
the ways that they can.
I work in a restaurant 6 days
a week, and then go home to care
for my family. I’m tired all the
time and my husband asks me to
Local governments would
stop attending births.
also be wise to invest in
midwives. These governments
rarely provide midwives with
adequate education or
supplies, yet they rely on
But I continue because
it is what I am good at,
what I love, what I am
called to do.
midwives to care for the many
women who have no access to
other medical care.
Along with being
underpaid, midwives may
struggle to receive the respect
they deserve for their work.
Doctors and others too often
dismiss the contributions of
midwives. When midwives
are not treated as valued
health workers — part of a
community of health care
providers who all share the
same goals — their ability to
care for women is hindered.
Midwives may actually be locked out
of the health system when a woman who has a health emergency is
not allowed to bring her midwife with her to the hospital.