Support the Canadian Black Midwifery Student Fund
“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.”― Audre Lorde
Please join the Canadian Association of Midwives in supporting the Black Midwifery Student Fund, created by the Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) Midwifery Collective.
The Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) Midwifery Collective is committed to supporting and advocating for the Black community within the Midwifery Education Programs (MEPs) and the midwifery profession. We are committed to dismantling white supremacy and its racist ideologies as it continues to pervade both birthwork and society as a whole. It is essential that we as an organization not only reflect on, but actively combat anti-Black racism that runs rampant in non-Black midwifery communities. The ongoing protests around the world highlight the pervasive history and current realities of racism and police brutality as a cyclical system of oppression that all Black people fight and navigate through on a daily basis. We are also aware of the fact that Black birthing families are often at the intersection of these violent and vulnerable interactions. It is urgent and necessary for there to be more Black midwives providing safe and supportive care to the Black birthing community.
As a result, we’ve created the Black Midwifery Student Relief Fund to ease the financial burden of aspiring Black midwives. The Black midwifery community has indicated that there is a need for this financial relief as it is often paired with overwhelming stress amidst other obstacles and hardships that arise when applying for and completing their studies.
If you are in a position to donate, you can do so on this site. Any amount is greatly appreciated and will directly benefit efforts for an increased representation of Black midwives in birthwork.
The fund will be distributed by the Canadian Association of Midwives and divided equally among applicants across Canada. If you are a Black midwifery student in Canada and want to apply for the fund, please contact us below through this gofundme page.
We continue to be an organization that Black midwifery students can confide in and look to for support.
Black Lives Matter. Black Births Matter. Black Birthworkers Matter.
In solidarity,
The BIPOC Midwifery Collective