100 Years of the International Confederation of Midwives

Midwives are essential for healthy nations! This narrative ‘herstory’ uncovers some of the mysteries and challenges during the past 100 years that surrounded a beleaguered profession and its global organisation, the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM). It tells the story of the power that a unified force of strong women leading the ICM and its midwifery associations did for Safe Motherhood and empowering women throughout the world. Their efforts resulted in today’s ICM being a vital standard-setting group for midwives and a respected advocate for the sexual and reproductive health and rights of adolescents and women, for healthy mothers and newborns, and, globally, for healthy nations.