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Women in partnership: Report from the 1990 Midwives Conference

Abstract:

What a remarkable year for midwifery! This has been achieved by a remarkable collection of women and midwives working together for social change. The Conference had an air of celebration, warmth and an overwhelming sense of the'power of partnership'. Karen Guilliland welcomed participants, reflected on the beginnings of the College, and stated that the foundation of this was built on the fundamental belief that the relationship between midwife and woman is one of partnership. The College is the first professional group to include the people for whom we provide the service in policy and decision making at all levels. Keynote speaker, Dr Marsden Wagner gave his first paper titled: "Medical reactions to midwife autonomy". He outlilned the enormous world-wide struggle over freedom, power, and control of health care, in particular, in the maternity services. He identified two models in conflict, that of the medical model prompted by the medical profession and the social model promoted by a disparate group of people including midwives, social scientist, epidemiologists and women's organisations.

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direct entry midwifery education, medical model, midwifery autonomy of practice