The panel “Indigenous midwifery: cultivating the social and cultural reproduction of life” will be held on Wednesday, April 18 at 3 p.m., at the United Nations headquarters (New York, USA). This is a side event for the 17th Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum for Indigenous Issues.

The event will review the current status of indigenous midwives in the Americas, where they are often excluded from public health systems, with negative repercussions on the maternal health of indigenous women. The organizations present will demand an end to the criminalization of indigenous midwives and will discuss successful strategies to support this ancestral practice.

The event is co-organized by CHIRAPAQ, Center for Indigenous Cultures of Peru; Kinal Antzetik (Mexico); National Aboriginal Council of Midwives, The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund and Ryerson University (Canada).

Agenda

15:00       Opening remarks. José Zárate

15:05       The context and value of indigenous midwifery. Monica McKay

15:15       Perú: Wise practices in risk of abandonment. CHIRAPAQ Centro de Culturas Indígenas del Perú

Mexico: Indigenous midwifery. Building possible futures from rights. Kinal Antzetik DF

Kenya: Midwifery in Kenya. Lucy Mulenkey, Indigenous Information Network

Canada: Indigenous Midwives working in every Indigenous Community. National Council of Aboriginal Midwives (NCAM)

15:40       Recommendations. Tarcila Rivera Zea 

15:50       Comments and feedback from plenary

16:10       Closing words. Tarcila Rivera Zea

Concept note

UNPFII17 Parallel Event – Indigenous Midwifery – Concept Note