14 Chelsea Beckford-Procyk
Channel: Virtual Midwives
Date: 2021-05-21

The importance of anti-racism and decolonisation in midwifery education: Facilitator: Diane Fox

Description: Last year saw an upsurge in awareness of the system of racism, the Black Lives Matter movement gained momentum globally and more people are having uncomfortable but necessary conversations around race. In the UK Black women and birthing people are 4-5 times more likely to die due to complications during pregnancy and childbirth than their white counterparts. While the National Health Service “acknowledge and regret this disparity” they have no target to end it. We must therefore examine how the education of healthcare professionals can also play a part in dismantling racism in clinical practice. I will discuss the ways in which student midwives, women, birthing people and society as a whole would benefit from the decolonisation of midwifery education and how being actively anti-racist can positively improve practice.