Every year on 5 May, the world comes together to mark International Day of the Midwife.
It's a day to recognise and honour the incredible work of midwives and the vital role they play in communities everywhere.
Midwives do more than deliver babies. They are trusted health professionals who provide life-saving care before, during, and after childbirth. They support women through pregnancy and delivery, offer counselling and contraception, and champion sexual and reproductive health and rights – often in some of the most challenging circumstances. Evidence shows that investing in midwives saves lives: with greater access to trained midwives, more than 60% of maternal deaths could be prevented.
At MSI, we know that midwives are the backbone of our work, particularly in settings where access to healthcare is limited. Whether they’re working from clinics, hospitals, or walking from door to door, our midwives provide care with compassion and courage. This International Day of the Midwife, we celebrate their commitment, their resilience and the hope they bring to women and families every day.
Meet Haya, an MSI Lady in Afghanistan
For over twenty years, MSI’s local teams have provided life-saving maternal health and family planning services in Afghanistan, reaching 1 million clients each year.
In Afghanistan, women can find it hard to access healthcare. Women are required to have a male chaperone to leave their homes and aren’t allowed to receive healthcare from male doctors.
That’s why MSI Afghanistan has built a team of local women nurses and midwives who deliver services to women in their communities.
One of these female providers is Haya. Working in women’s healthcare was something that she had dreamed of since she was a child. “In Afghanistan, women can feel restricted in what they can share on their health and relationships with male doctors, so as a woman, I wanted to help,” Haya shared.
Now Haya has trained as a midwife and works as an MSI Lady in a rural region of northern Afghanistan. Every day, Haya walks from door to door in her local community delivering services and building awareness of women’s healthcare options in the comfort of people’s homes.
“As a community member, I’m in a good position to talk with husbands and leaders about the services available, addressing any concerns and sharing the benefits for families and communities.”
“As a community member, I’m in a good position to talk with husbands and leaders about the services available, addressing any concerns and sharing the benefits for families and communities.”
Haya’s work to build awareness with her neighbours and local families has had a ripple effect.
“We have clients who recommend their families and neighbours now. A recent client who was seeking contraception had been recommended by a family member. She was married with children, and she and her husband wanted to have a break before their next child, so attended our clinic for the contraceptive injection, free of charge.”
Haya’s work can be challenging, walking from service to service each day and often navigating complex conversations on cultural expectations, but the impact she has seen for women in her community makes it all worthwhile.
“As an MSI Lady, I’m achieving my dream of helping women in my community – with the information and services that my colleagues and I provide, women can make choices about their healthcare and their futures.”
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