There’s a global shortage of one million midwives. That means millions of people are going without the care they need and deserve. International Day of the Midwife (IDM) is a moment of pride — and a reminder of how much still needs to change. This year, IDM is a call to action — a moment to raise our voices and demand investment in midwives, so more people can access safe, respectful, life-saving care.
This toolkit has everything you need to get involved, wherever you are. You’ll find resources to share our global petition calling for #OneMillionMore, plan events, and mark the day — or even the whole month — on social media.
Together, we can turn IDM2026 into a global moment to demand the investment, leadership, and recognition midwives need to join and stay in the workforce.
A message from ICM’s Chief Executive, Anna af Ugglas
The International Day of the Midwife (IDM) is a moment of pride, but also a reminder of what still needs to change. Around the world, there’s a shortage of one million midwives. That means too many women and families go without the care they need, and too many midwives are working in understaffed health systems, without the support, recognition and resources they need and deserve.
That’s why we chose to use the theme One Million More throughout 2026 as a global call to action to meet this urgent need. We’re asking governments and global health institutions to take action to grow the midwifery workforce by investing in education and deployment, creating enabling environments, and ensuring midwives have a voice in decision-making.
To make this call impossible to ignore, we’ve launched a global petition demanding action to grow and strengthen the profession. Our goal is one million signatures — to match the number of midwives the world urgently needs — to be delivered to global health leaders at the ICM Triennial Congress in Lisbon.
What better time to push for more midwives than the day the world comes together to recognise our work? This IDM, join us to advocate and build a movement for midwives. Let’s use this global advocacy day to demand the investment, leadership, and recognition the midwifery workforce needs to grow and thrive.
Together, we can build a future with one million more midwives.
Happy IDM!
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Join us to call for #OneMillionMore midwives!
We’ve created a set of ready-to-use social media messages and graphics to help you take part in #IDM2026 and amplify the call for one million more midwives. Download the graphics, copy the messages, and share them on social media before, on, and after 5 May 2026.
Below, you’ll also find social media banners, editable templates to translate the messages into your language, and all the visual assets of the #OneMillionMore campaign so you can create your own graphics.
However you choose to celebrate — from sharing these messages, celebrating in your community or hosting an event — make sure you’re directing your audience to one thing: our global petition. It’s our most powerful tool to demand what the world urgently needs: one million more midwives.
#IDM2026 #OneMillionMore
Share our social messages and graphics
MESSAGE #1
Instagram / Facebook / LinkedInBluesky
🚨 In crises, women face life-threatening risks: pregnancy complications, sexual violence, and reduced access to care.
💡 Midwives are the solution.
👉 It’s time to include them in crisis response plans.
#IDM2025
COPY TEXT
🚨 In crises, women face life-threatening risks: pregnancy complications, sexual violence, and reduced access to care.
💡 Midwives are the solution.
👉 It’s time to include them in crisis response plans.
Ensure continuity of care for pregnancy and crisis-induced complications, such as GBV, pregnancy loss, or STIs.
It can take a long time for aid to reach crises-affected communities, midwives have the networks to adapt and access local solutions.
MESSAGE #3
Instagram / Facebook / LinkedInBluesky
When midwives are included in preparedness and response plans, they can:
✅ Advocate for SRMNAH needs
✅Prepare families to protect their health during crises
✅ Pre-position lifesaving SRH supplies
✅ Ensure women, gender diverse people and newborns get the care they need
#IDM2025
COPY TEXT
When midwives are included in crisis planning, they can:
✅ Advocate for SRMNAH needs
✅ Prepare families for emergencies
✅ Pre-position lifesaving supplies
✅ Ensure essential care for women, newborns & gender diverse people
#IDM2025
COPY TEXT
When midwives are enabled and included, they play a critical role in building health systems that are prepared for crises. They can:
Advocate for SRMNAH services to be integrated into disaster risk reduction, preparedness, and response plans,
Prepare communities by educating them about maternal and newborn health risks, breastfeeding, infant nutrition, menstrual health and how to access care during emergencies,
Help establish referral pathways and pre-position lifesaving supplies, like birth kits and essential medicines for SRMNAH,
Ensure the needs of women, gender diverse people, adolescents, and displaced populations are prioritised in crisis planning.
MESSAGE #4
Instagram / Facebook / LinkedInBluesky
Everyone has the right to manage their sexual and reproductive health, even in the most challenging circumstances.
👉 Midwives must be valued and included in every crisis response plan.
#IDM2025
COPY TEXT
Everyone has the right to manage their sexual and reproductive health, even in the most challenging circumstances.
👉 Midwives must be valued and included in every crisis response plan.
Midwives have the right to: -Work without fear of violence or harm – health workers are #NotATarget. -Access the tools and resources they need. -Be included in crisis planning and decision-making.
👉 Protecting midwives’ rights ensures they can continue saving lives.
#IDM2025
COPY TEXT
Midwives have the right to:
-Work without fear—health workers are #NotATarget
-Access essential tools & resources
-Be included in crisis planning
👉 Protecting their rights means saving lives.
#IDM2025
COPY TEXT
Midwives are first responders during crises, providing lifesaving sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, and adolescent health (SRMNAH) services. Yet, their right to work in a safe environment where their rights are respected is often overlooked.
ICM represents over 135 midwives’ associations (MAs) across more than 115 countries. Each year, we host our own IDM events (marked with the ICM circle at the top) and invite you to join us. But IDM is much bigger than ICM alone — from parades to pop-up midwifery clinics, our member associations and partners organise celebrations and activations around the world. We’re excited to provide our community with a platform to promote these fantastic events and initiatives.
If you are an ICM member association or partner hosting an IDM celebration, we want to share your event! Fill out our form to submit your IDM activity.
What does it mean to be an ICM member association?
Becoming an ICM member association entitles you to a long list of exclusive benefits. These benefits offer opportunities for professional development, networking, leadership, association support , and much more.
Find out how to take advantage of these diverse benefits to enhance the knowledge of your association and your members, advance the midwifery profession, and champion evidence for improved sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn and adolescent outcomes.
Find out how to take advantage of these diverse benefits to enhance the knowledge of your Association and your members, advance the midwifery profession, and champion evidence in public policy.
Join us to call for #OneMillionMore midwives!
We’ve created a set of ready-to-use social media messages and graphics to help you take part in #IDM2026 and amplify the call for one million more midwives. Download the graphics, copy the messages, and share them on social media before, on, and after 5 May 2026.
Below, you’ll also find social media banners, editable templates to translate the messages into your language, and all the visual assets of the #OneMillionMore campaign so you can create your own graphics.
However you choose to celebrate — from sharing these messages, celebrating in your community or hosting an event — make sure you’re directing your audience to one thing: our global petition. It’s our most powerful tool to demand what the world urgently needs: one million more midwives.
#IDM2026 #OneMillionMore
Share our social messages and graphics
🚨 In crises, women face life-threatening risks: pregnancy complications, sexual violence, and reduced access to care.
💡 Midwives are the solution.
👉 It’s time to include them in crisis response plans.
#IDM2025
🚨 In crises, women face life-threatening risks: pregnancy complications, sexual violence, and reduced access to care.
💡 Midwives are the solution.
👉 It’s time to include them in crisis response plans.
#IDM2025
Sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, and adolescent health (SRMNAH) needs persist, and often worsen during crises, disproportionately affecting women, girls, and gender diverse people. They face heightened risks, including complications from pregnancy, increased exposure to sexual violence, and limited access to essential care. Midwives are crucial in these settings; they can provide up to 90% of SRMNAH services. Their role includes:
Midwives are trusted and have the knowledge and skills to ensure women receive the health services they need, no matter the crisis.
They need to be included and valued in every crisis response plan.
#IDM2025
Midwives are trusted and have the knowledge and skills to ensure women receive the health services they need, no matter the crisis.
They need to be included and valued in every crisis response plan.
#IDM2025
Midwives are uniquely positioned to act as first responders to SRMNAH needs during crises. They are based in the community and trusted by those they serve. In crisis settings midwives can:
It can take a long time for aid to reach crises-affected communities, midwives have the networks to adapt and access local solutions.
When midwives are included in preparedness and response plans, they can:
✅ Advocate for SRMNAH needs
✅Prepare families to protect their health during crises
✅ Pre-position lifesaving SRH supplies
✅ Ensure women, gender diverse people and newborns get the care they need
#IDM2025
When midwives are included in crisis planning, they can:
✅ Advocate for SRMNAH needs
✅ Prepare families for emergencies
✅ Pre-position lifesaving supplies
✅ Ensure essential care for women, newborns & gender diverse people
#IDM2025
When midwives are enabled and included, they play a critical role in building health systems that are prepared for crises. They can:
Everyone has the right to manage their sexual and reproductive health, even in the most challenging circumstances.
👉 Midwives must be valued and included in every crisis response plan.
#IDM2025
Everyone has the right to manage their sexual and reproductive health, even in the most challenging circumstances.
👉 Midwives must be valued and included in every crisis response plan.
#IDM2025
Crises deepen inequalities and disproportionately affect women and gender diverse people, often resulting in violations of their human rights. Many face increased risks of sexual violence, unwanted pregnancies, lack of access to contraception and safe abortion care, and limited access to essential health services.
Despite these challenges, they retain the right to make informed choices about their reproductive health.
Midwives play a critical role in upholding sexual and reproductive rights by ensuring access to contraception, comprehensive abortion care, menstrual health, and safe and respectful maternity care.
Everyone has the right to manage their sexual and reproductive health, even in the most challenging circumstances.
👉 Midwives must be valued and included in every crisis response plan.
#IDM2025
In crises, breastfeeding provides newborns with safe, clean, and reliable nutrition—essential for growth and survival.
Including midwives in crisis response plans protects mothers and babies.
#IDM2025
In crises, breastfeeding provides newborns with safe, clean, and reliable nutrition—essential for growth and survival.
Including midwives in crisis response plans protects mothers and babies.
#IDM2025
In crisis settings, breastfeeding provides newborns with safe, clean, and reliable nutrition – crucial for survival. Midwives play a key role in supporting mothers to initiate and continue breastfeeding, protecting newborn health and reducing mortality.
Midwives have the right to:
-Work without fear of violence or harm – health workers are #NotATarget.
-Access the tools and resources they need.
-Be included in crisis planning and decision-making.
👉 Protecting midwives’ rights ensures they can continue saving lives.
#IDM2025
Midwives have the right to:
-Work without fear—health workers are #NotATarget
-Access essential tools & resources
-Be included in crisis planning
👉 Protecting their rights means saving lives.
#IDM2025
Midwives are first responders during crises, providing lifesaving sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, and adolescent health (SRMNAH) services. Yet, their right to work in a safe environment where their rights are respected is often overlooked.
During crises, midwives face unsafe working conditions and an increased risk of experiencing violence. At the same time access to fair pay, essential resources, medications and personal protective equipment is often lacking, making it difficult for midwives to provide quality, safe care.
Midwives have the right to:
Protecting midwives’ rights is essential for their personal safety and to ensure women and gender diverse people get the care they need.