MANA seeks to raise awareness and improve the quality, safety, equity, effectiveness and outcomes of maternal and child health care through the promotion of the Midwives Model of Care. Therefore, the Midwives Alliance devotes considerable resources to advocacy and activism to achieve these goals.
Advocacy
MANA's advocacy activities involve membership and leadership in several national coalitions and the International Confederation of Midwives. (ICM)
ICM is an organization of midwifery organizations from all over the world, seeking to improve maternal and newborn health globally through promoting and strengthening the midwifery profession. The ICM has set a global standard for education, regulation, and association, and provides competencies and tools to help midwifery associations meet those standards.
US MERA is a work group of the seven midwifery organizations who are responsible for education, regulation and professional associations related to the three U.S. midwifery credentials: Certified Professional Midwife (CPM), Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM), and Certified Midwife (CM.) The goal of US MERA is to strengthen the foundation for organizations responsible for midwifery education, regulation and associations to work collaboratively to advance the midwifery profession in the U.S.
The Community Partners program is MANA’s new initiative to support state midwifery organizations by providing a setting for states to share information and experience, strengthen their leadership through mentoring and leadership training, and benefit from MANA’s public affairs and social media infrastructure.
The Integrative Healthcare Policy Consortium (IHPC) seeks to ensure access for all people to the full range of safe and regulated conventional, complementary, and alternative healthcare options through a vigorous policy and legislative agenda.
Activism
Activism has been a part of MANA's history, ethics and legacy since its inception in 1982, and activism for social justice is embedded in our organizational strategic goals. Activism in social justice and human rights arenas is intentional behavior with the goal of bringing about social change.
Being a midwife could be considered an "activist profession." Our ongoing quest to increase access to the midwifery model of care for every women, in every rural, urban, tribal or remote community in the country--when midwifery remains an oppressed even outlawed profession in some states--exemplifies our activist spirits.
The Homebirth SummitsThe first planning meeting for what would ultimately become the three Homebirth Consensus Summits was held in 2009 in response to a rising homebirth rate in the US. |
Community PartnersMANA believes that all midwives matter! The Community Partner program is MANA’s new program designed to provide opportunities for states to connect with other Community Partner states, as well as national leaders and associations. |
US MERAMidwives Alliance is proud to have been part of the committed effort, together with our sister organizations, to work collaboratively, come to agreement, and develop these historical documents. We hope our members will take the time to read all the joint statements, and consider how this work will enhance education for midwives, improve access within the healthcare system, and increase safety for mothers and families. |
Big Push CampaignThe Big Push for Midwives Campaign represents tens of thousands of people in the United States who support expanding access to Certified Professional Midwives and out-of-hospital maternity care, and increasing birth options for families in North America. |