Celebrating a year of PUSH on International Women’s Day 2026 with Spotlight to Regional Advocacy Incubator and PUSH Champions Around the World

On 4 March 2026, advocates, midwives, and partners from across the globe gathered for online event called “PUSHing Back Together: For rights, for women, for midwives,” an International Women’s Day celebration marking one year since the relaunch of the PUSH Campaign as ICM’s global movement for woman-centred care. In case you missed it, you can watch it here.

The event was jointly opened by the leadership of ICM and AlignMNH: ICM’s Chief Midwife Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent welcomed participants and reflected on the power of collective action: “In this era of anti-rights, anti-science, and anti-women, advocates, scientists, midwives, and their partners are uniting to fight back.” She emphasized that the partnership between midwives and women’s advocates—central to the Midwifery Philosophy and Model of Care— which is also the driving force behind the PUSH movement.  

Anita Gibson, the Director of AlignMNH, reminded us of the urgency of investing in midwives as one of the highest return-on-investment solutions in maternal health; with a caveat: “Investment alone is not enough; Progress depends on partnerships like the multi-disciplinary alliances convened by the PUSH Campaign and AlignMNH’s upcoming IMNHC (the International Maternal Newborn Health Conference 2026)."

The advocacy for woman-centred care and midwives as two-sides of the same coin, and the alliance between midwives and advocates as irrefutable and urgently necessary, especially in the current global climate.  This event featured two panels reflecting this duality: The first panel welcomed midwifery leaders today from three of the six midwifery associations who participated in ICM’s first Regional Advocacy Incubator. Their progress demonstrates what is possible when midwives are equipped, connected, and supported to lead. Shifting from the Africa Region, the second panel today highlighted PUSH partners from the Americas, the Eastern Mediterranean, and Europe Regions reminding us that PUSH is not a campaign owned by one organization—it is a growing, global movement.

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Panel 1 was moderated by ICM’s Neha Mankani, Climate and Humanitarian Advisor, who provided an overview of the Regional Advocacy Incubator.  In October 2025, the Regional Advocacy Incubator brought together six midwives’ association leaders from Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, and Tanzania to exchange knowledge and experiences, build and sharpen advocacy skills, and gain insights to implement and expand their national midwifery advocacy plans.  Speakers from Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda shared how the incubator strengthened their advocacy strategies, expanded partnerships with civil society, and increased the visibility and leadership of midwives in national policy discussions. Read more about the impacts of the Incubator here but some inspiring moments included:

• Tenagnework Dilnessa representing Ethiopian Midwives Association highlighted the national policy brief on rolling out the midwifery model of care across the health system and the political buy-in from ministerial stakeholders

• Eunice Atsali from the Midwives Association of Kenya similarly highlighted the impactful collaboration with a widely recognized social media influencer to raise awareness about midwives, their scope of work, and the shortage nationally, regionally, and globally.

• Sarah Namyalo representing Uganda’s Private Midwives Association reflected about their multi-disciplinary stakeholder meeting to address the need for safe abortion and the risks posed by the highly conservative health and legal systems.  
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Panel 2 was moderated by Merette Khalil, PUSH Campaign Lead, who presented the three pillars of the PUSH Campaign and the wide progress spanning all regions since it’s launch on IWD2025. This panel highlighted the voices, lessons, and efforts of advocates from Guatemala (AMRO), Portugal (EURO), and Saudi Arabia (EMRO) who are mobilizing communities, influencing decision-makers, and amplifying the evidence about midwives and woman-centred care.  Among the most inspiring take-aways:

• Roa Altaweli representing the Arab Regional Midwifery Advisory Group (ARMAG) shared about the regionalization of the PUSH Campaign for the Arab States and Arabic translation of the Essential Competencies/What a Midwife Can Do For You Campaign. Through collaboration with various social media influencers, the regional campaign reached half a million people in 5 posts.  

• Isabel Ferreira representing the Association of Portuguese Midwives (APEO) highlighted the urgency of protecting women’s rights and raising awareness about the role of midwives. APEO launched a PUSH podcast to elevate the voices of women and the midwives who care for them—and looks forward to contunuing to PUSH together at ICM’s 34^th Triennial Congress which they are co-hosting.

• Ana Barreto representing Libera told the story of launching a new grassroots organization with a mission to protect women’s dignity and shift the power and hierarchies in systems advocating for community-oriented and midwife-led care. She shared the story of partnership between Guatemalan indigenous communities, their midwives, and their advocacy partners, noting that: “Legal victories mean nothing without locally rooted solutions”

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Building on inspiration and celebration, the event concluded with a call to action! Ana Guiterrez, Communications Lead, invited participants to support the movement and take action in three ways:

1. Taking the PUSH pledge and inviting others into the movement for woman-centred care and midwives

2. Signing the petition for one million more midwives and sharing it widely

3. Acting locally to demand for woman-centred care and more midwives during the IWD2026 celebrations in your city

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Daniela Drandic, ICM’s Head of Advocacy and Communications, closed by reminding all that of the power of community and collective action:

“In a time when women’s rights are facing escalating opposition, today has shown that we are not alone—and we are not silent. We are organized. We are evidence driven. And we are united. Let’s remember that anniversaries are not only for celebration; they are for recommitment. The shortage of one million midwives remains. Barriers to leadership and fair working conditions persist. Too many women still lack respectful, quality care. Let’s Organize and show up for and with each other.  One year on, the movement is growing—and together we will continue to PUSH for rights, for women, and for midwives.”

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