Statement of belief
The International Confederation of Midwives supports all efforts to empower women and to empower midwives with basic human rights and an understanding of the corresponding responsibilities that accrue to persons exercising such rights. The Confederation affirms its belief, in accord with the International Code of Ethics for Midwives (1993), the ICM Global Vision and Strategy (1996), the ICM/FIGO/WHO Definition of the Midwife (1972), and the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), that women are persons worthy of respect and human dignity in all situations and within all roles they assume during their lifetime. The Confederation further believes that all individuals must be treated with respect for human dignity, that each person must be accorded basic human rights and that each of us is responsible for the consequences of our choices and actions in enacting these rights. The Confederation also believes that one of the most important roles of the midwife is to provide complete, comprehensive, understandable, up-to-date and scientifically based health education and information so that women/families can participate knowledgeably in choices/decision that affect their health and the design and implementation of their health services.
Policy
Midwives, together with women and families, work toward the empowerment of themselves and others with basic human rights and accountability for one's decisions/actions. This empowerment:
- gives voices and well as choices to women that can significantly affect their health and the health of their families;
- encourages midwives to begin with themselves to overcome societal, cultural and family traditions that are harmful, and to educate themselves on basic human rights;
- requires that midwives and women acquire the knowledge needed to achieve autonomy in decisions that affect their own vital interests;
- mandates that midwives in their work
with women, families and other advocacy groups provide support and appropriate
information for knowledgeable decision making.
The implementation
of an ethical and human rights approach to health care respects culture,
ethnicity/race, gender and individual choices to the extent that none of these
result in harm to the health and well being of women, children and men. When the midwife is faced with a situation of
potential or actual harm to self or another person, whether through lack of
human rights, abuse or violence, or cultural practices, the midwife has an
ethical duty to intervene in an appropriate manner to stop such harm while
always mindful of protecting oneself from further harm.
Member associations are encouraged to support all women in the achievement of basic human rights by taking action to adopt this or a similar statement within their organization and using references and support in the education of midwives and women/men.
References
- ICM Global
Vision and Strategy document (1996)
- ICM International
Code of Ethics for Midwives (1993)
- ICM/FIGO/WHO
Definition of the Midwife (1972)
- UN Universal
Declaration of Human Rights (1948)
- UN Protection of
the Heritage of Indigenous People (1998)
- IPPF Charter on Sexual and
Reproductive Rights: Vision 2000 (1995)
- UNICEF A Human
Rights Approach to UNICEF Programming for Children and
Women: What it is, and Some Changes it will bring (1998)
- CMAT Ethical and
Human Rights Standards in Providing Health Care (1999)
Adopted by the
International Confederation of Midwives Council,
Date for
revision: 2005