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.
New this year: we have also created an editable press release that you can adapt and send to media outlets in your country or community. It explains why the world needs more midwives and highlights what you, your organisation, or your association are doing to push for change.
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.
Too many women still die from preventable causes during pregnancy and childbirth. Skilled care before, during, and after birth can save lives — and midwives are best placed to provide it. Achieving universal coverage of midwife-delivered interventions by 2035 could avert 67% of these deaths.
But, the world is short one million midwives. We need urgent action to grow, support, and sustain the global midwifery workforce.
This #IDM2026, sign the global petition calling on policymakers for #OneMillionMore
Too many women still die from preventable causes during pregnancy and childbirth. Midwives can change that — but the world is one million midwives short.
This #IDM2026, sign the global petition calling policymakers to invest in #OneMillionMore midwives
Too many newborns still die before or shortly after birth from causes we know how to prevent. Most of these deaths are linked to complications that can be identified and managed with the right care. Midwives are best placed to provide that care — before, during, and after birth. They reduce preterm births, prevent stillbirths, and improve health outcomes for newborns.
But the world needs #OneMillionMore midwives to prevent 64% of newborn deaths and 65% of stillbirths.
This #IDM2026, sign the global petition calling on policymakers to grow, support, and sustain the global midwifery workforce
Millions of newborns die each year — and many more are stillborn.
Most of these deaths are preventable. Midwives are key, but the world is 1 million short.
This #IDM2026, sign the global petition for #OneMillionMore midwives
C-sections can be life-saving when medically necessary. But today, many are performed without improving health outcomes — putting women and newborns at risk of short- and long-term complications.
Midwives help reduce unnecessary caesarean births and other interventions by supporting physiological birth and providing personalised care that protects health and prevents harm. They also ensure that women who do need medical interventions are referred to the right specialist, at the right time.
But the world is short of #OneMillionMore.
This #IDM2026, join the call to grow, support, and sustain the global midwifery workforce.
Caesarean birth rates are rising fast, but outcomes for women and newborns aren’t improving as a result. In fact, they’re at more risk of short- and long-term complications. Midwives reduce unnecessary interventions and support physiological birth through personalised, safe care. The world is needs #OneMillionMore midwives. This #IDM2026, sign the petition.
Disrespect, abuse, and neglect during childbirth are still far too common — from verbal mistreatment and discrimination to procedures performed without consent. This is a violation of women’s rights.
Midwives provide care rooted in dignity, consent, and respect. But around the world, there aren’t enough midwives to meet this need.
This #IDM2026, sign the petition to call for #OneMillionMore midwives to protect women’s rights and improve care.
Too many women experience disrespect or abuse during childbirth. Midwives offer care based on respect and consent — but there aren’t enough. This #IDM2026, sign the petition calling for #OneMillionMore midwives
Access to contraception remains out of reach for too many. Around 257 million women still have unmet family planning needs, and 45% of abortions are not safe.
Midwives are key to closing this gap. They can deliver 90% of essential sexual and reproductive health services — but the world is one million midwives short.
This #IDM2026, sign the petition calling for #OneMillionMore midwives to protect women’s rights and improve care. Let’s make reproductive rights real.
257 million women still have unmet family planning needs & 45% of abortions are still unsafe. Midwives can close this gap — but we need #OneMillionMore.
This #IDM2026, sign the global petition to grow, support & sustain the midwifery workforce
Millions of children miss out on the full benefits of breastfeeding — a practice that could prevent 13% of all deaths in children under two and save 20,000 women from breast cancer each year.
Breastfeeding is a learned behaviour. With skilled postnatal support that midwives provide, women are far more likely to achieve their breastfeeding goals.
But the world is short one million midwives.
This #IDM2026, sign the petition to grow, support, and sustain the global midwifery workforce. Join the call for #OneMillionMore
Breastfeeding could prevent 13% of deaths in children under two — and 20,000 breast cancer deaths every year. Midwives provide the support to make it possible, but the world needs #OneMillionMore.
This #IDM2026, sign the petition:
In places affected by conflict, disaster, or displacement, women often give birth without access to skilled care.
Midwives can provide life-saving support even in the most fragile settings — but the world urgently needs more of them. With the right tools and support, midwives can continue delivering essential care when health systems collapse.
This #IDM2026, join us in calling for #OneMillionMore Midwives to ensure care reaches every woman, everywhere.
In crisis-affected areas, midwives are often the only link to life-saving care. But there aren’t enough of them. This #IDM2026, sign the petition calling for #OneMillionMore Midwives to support women—no matter where they live.
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.
If you’ve signed and shared the petition and are still looking to do more for midwives, join the PUSH Campaign. PUSH is ICM’s global campaign for woman-centred care, advocating for midwives as the way to get us there. Through this movement, you’ll find tools, resources, and a global community to continue your advocacy beyond the One Million More petition.
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.
New this year: we have also created an editable press release that you can adapt and send to media outlets in your country or community. It explains why the world needs more midwives and highlights what you, your organisation, or your association are doing to push for change.
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
Too many women still die from preventable causes during pregnancy and childbirth. Skilled care before, during, and after birth can save lives — and midwives are best placed to provide it. Achieving universal coverage of midwife-delivered interventions by 2035 could avert 67% of these deaths.
But, the world is short one million midwives. We need urgent action to grow, support, and sustain the global midwifery workforce.
This #IDM2026, sign the global petition calling on policymakers for #OneMillionMore
Too many women still die from preventable causes during pregnancy and childbirth. Midwives can change that — but the world is one million midwives short.
This #IDM2026, sign the global petition calling policymakers to invest in #OneMillionMore midwives
Too many newborns still die before or shortly after birth from causes we know how to prevent. Most of these deaths are linked to complications that can be identified and managed with the right care. Midwives are best placed to provide that care — before, during, and after birth. They reduce preterm births, prevent stillbirths, and improve health outcomes for newborns.
But the world needs #OneMillionMore midwives to prevent 64% of newborn deaths and 65% of stillbirths.
This #IDM2026, sign the global petition calling on policymakers to grow, support, and sustain the global midwifery workforce
Millions of newborns die each year — and many more are stillborn.
Most of these deaths are preventable. Midwives are key, but the world is 1 million short.
This #IDM2026, sign the global petition for #OneMillionMore midwives
C-sections can be life-saving when medically necessary. But today, many are performed without improving health outcomes — putting women and newborns at risk of short- and long-term complications.
Midwives help reduce unnecessary caesarean births and other interventions by supporting physiological birth and providing personalised care that protects health and prevents harm. They also ensure that women who do need medical interventions are referred to the right specialist, at the right time.
But the world is short of #OneMillionMore.
This #IDM2026, join the call to grow, support, and sustain the global midwifery workforce.
Sign the petition.
Caesarean birth rates are rising fast, but outcomes for women and newborns aren’t improving as a result. In fact, they’re at more risk of short- and long-term complications. Midwives reduce unnecessary interventions and support physiological birth through personalised, safe care. The world is needs #OneMillionMore midwives. This #IDM2026, sign the petition.
Disrespect, abuse, and neglect during childbirth are still far too common — from verbal mistreatment and discrimination to procedures performed without consent. This is a violation of women’s rights.
Midwives provide care rooted in dignity, consent, and respect. But around the world, there aren’t enough midwives to meet this need.
This #IDM2026, sign the petition to call for #OneMillionMore midwives to protect women’s rights and improve care.
Too many women experience disrespect or abuse during childbirth. Midwives offer care based on respect and consent — but there aren’t enough. This #IDM2026, sign the petition calling for #OneMillionMore midwives
Access to contraception remains out of reach for too many. Around 257 million women still have unmet family planning needs, and 45% of abortions are not safe.
Midwives are key to closing this gap. They can deliver 90% of essential sexual and reproductive health services — but the world is one million midwives short.
This #IDM2026, sign the petition calling for #OneMillionMore midwives to protect women’s rights and improve care. Let’s make reproductive rights real.
257 million women still have unmet family planning needs & 45% of abortions are still unsafe. Midwives can close this gap — but we need #OneMillionMore.
This #IDM2026, sign the global petition to grow, support & sustain the midwifery workforce
Millions of children miss out on the full benefits of breastfeeding — a practice that could prevent 13% of all deaths in children under two and save 20,000 women from breast cancer each year.
Breastfeeding is a learned behaviour. With skilled postnatal support that midwives provide, women are far more likely to achieve their breastfeeding goals.
But the world is short one million midwives.
This #IDM2026, sign the petition to grow, support, and sustain the global midwifery workforce. Join the call for #OneMillionMore
Breastfeeding could prevent 13% of deaths in children under two — and 20,000 breast cancer deaths every year. Midwives provide the support to make it possible, but the world needs #OneMillionMore.
This #IDM2026, sign the petition:
In places affected by conflict, disaster, or displacement, women often give birth without access to skilled care.
Midwives can provide life-saving support even in the most fragile settings — but the world urgently needs more of them. With the right tools and support, midwives can continue delivering essential care when health systems collapse.
This #IDM2026, join us in calling for #OneMillionMore Midwives to ensure care reaches every woman, everywhere.
In crisis-affected areas, midwives are often the only link to life-saving care. But there aren’t enough of them. This #IDM2026, sign the petition calling for #OneMillionMore Midwives to support women—no matter where they live.