Minister of Indigenous Services Canada Issues Statement on the International Day of the Midwife

Ottawa, Ontario (May 5, 2022) – The Minister of Indigenous Services, Patty Hajdu, issued the following statement today:

“On the International Day of the Midwife, we celebrate the vital role midwifery plays in supporting traditional birthing practices in communities, and the positive impact midwives have in the lives of mothers, babies and families. Midwifery and access to birth supports in communities to keep moms and babies close to family and home is an important part of the Government of Canada’s work to ensure equitable, culturally safe, community-led and distinctions-based approaches to health services.

Since 2017, the Government of Canada has made significant investments to support more access to midwifery services for Indigenous Peoples. As a result of our shared work, more women in more Indigenous communities are giving birth closer to home, surrounded by family and community. As the Government of Canada works with our community to transform health care to be distinctions-based and self-determined, more First Nations, Inuit and Métis women will have culturally safe options to be able to give birth in their own communities.

Midwives play a critical role in the delivery of culturally safe health services. By fostering more access, we will see more culturally inclusive and accessible health services for generations of families to come.”