Growing Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Midwives

Indigenous Midwives for Tomorrow

Our Vision ~
Increased numbers of Indigenous midwives enabling Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander woman greater access to a midwife of her choice

Our Aim~
-What we do?
We provide assistance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young women to help them complete their studies to become midwives and remain in the profession

-How we do it?
We provide flexible scholarships for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to support them to complete their midwifery studies and to engage in continuing professional development.

-Why we do it?
Health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers and babies continue to be well below those of non-Indigenous Australians. There are unacceptably high disparities in health outcomes between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous mothers and babies including preterm birth, low birth weight, maternal and perinatal morbidity.

The safety of midwifery is well established globally with recognition that access to quality midwifery care is every woman’s right.

Here in Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander midwives need to be the key providers of models of maternity care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women as they provide cultural and personal connection to women receiving their care. However there are insufficient numbers of graduate midwives across the country.

Our Objectives~
To increase the number of qualified Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander midwives across rural, remote and urban communities.

To promote the key message that midwives provide and promote culturally safe care that addresses the cultural, spiritual and social needs of women, their babies and their families and delivers a social impact that contributes to ‘Closing the Gap’.

To enhance access to models of care that offer continuity of care from a known midwife for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and families.

To support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander midwives to be leaders in their profession.

Scholarships~
There are many barriers for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people entering tertiary education, including: family commitments and community expectations; geographical remoteness; reduced access to transport; literacy issues; lowered self-esteem and a lack of confidence in their own abilities. Whilst there are some government scholarships available to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people for study, these do not go far enough in meeting the ongoing expenses associated with studying an intensive three-year Tertiary program, doing clinical placements outside of daylight hours, involving periods of being on call all of which is often required whilst being far away from family and community.

Currently, RLIMCF provides three flexible scholarships:
Category A~
$5,000 for undergraduates to encourage and support them in their studies
Category B~
$1,000 for registered midwives to further develop professionally and contribute to their profession.

***Please help us reach our goal - Every little dollar counts. Make a contribution to supporting the creation and growth of Indigenous Midwives.***

Further Resources~
-Scholarship Recipient Testimonials can be found on our website - http://indigenousmidwives.org.au/testimonials-2018/

-Board Director Leona McGrath’s Story
https://vimeo.com/77454205

-Board Director & Chair Cherisse Buzzacott’s Story
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vig2IMM2BXQ

-Birthing on Country – Birth Time
https://www.birthtime.world/p/b