My Commitment for
Anti-Oppression in Midwifery
I recognize all types of diversity and intersections therein, including and not limited to: size, ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, age, economic status, citizenship status, religion, and abilities. And I fully acknowledge that the work of diversity and inclusion is NOT the same as anti-racist and anti-oppressive work. Just because someone is in the room doesn’t mean harm cannot still happen, and it often does. I work to minimize harm, and create safer reproductive spaces for Indigenous, Black, Brown, Queer, Trans, and Gender Expansive folks. I practice Trauma Informed Care and Embodied Consent. I work to do outreach to let you know we are here, and that me and my partner are here to offer you intersectional care.
In my midwifery practice, it is important to me that clients to feel welcome, seen, heard, and well cared for in all intersections of their identity and culture. This statement is to share with you my commitments and what I’ve done to prepare myself and my practice to offer you a positive and affirming experience to the best of my ability. And, I commit to continue to grow my capacity, to continue to learn, and to listen to those who may, or may not come from similar backgrounds as myself.
My commitment is to provide culturally and gender affirming reproductive health care for people seeking midwifery services with me and my midwifery partners. I am always looking for local health care providers who also have these commitments, so that if I have to make a referral for my clients, I'm not sending them off to be harmed. I am committed to diversity and inclusion with an anti-oppressive goal for folks who come from communities who have largely not been served by midwifery care - for lack of access, or because we haven’t been centered, because we’ve been excluded, discriminated against, or because the knowledge and practice of midwifery care has been taken from our cultural groups - the midwifery care which we are now actively reclaiming.
My work as a midwife (and as a midwifery educator) is to continue to grow in my capacities to make midwifery care not only accessible, but also affirming to those who seek midwifery services. My best learning has been from Indigenous, Black, Brown, Queer, Trans, Gender Expansive writers, educators, speakers, thinkers, and influencers. I regularly meet with friends who hold me accountable, attend talks, read books, take classes, self-reflect, and pay for trainings with amazing and insightful teachers and leaders of our time, (because TQBIPOC more than deserve to be paid for this labor).
I feel it is important to name my ‘positionality’ as holding both privilege and marginalization. It is a lot to hold all aspects of our identities, especially when it is seemingly contradictory, but it is our work, individually and collectively. I do not wish to contribute to the violence perpetrated on people from marginalized groups, including my own. Therefore, I feel it is necessary to continue to do my own healing work, to uncover biases, and blind spots. I feel the responsibility to leverage the privileges that I do have to do my part to dismantle racist and oppressive structures, and to build equitable structures. I also leverage the experiences from being marginalized, because sad but true, there is knowledge gained from being an experienced survivor of racism, marginalization, and oppression.
Most importantly, there is great wisdom and knowledge gained from my parent's strength, our culture & community, and my ancestral lineage. The love-labor of reclamation is vitally important to our health and well being. It is this love, healing, resilience, strength, groundedness, and connection to Earth that I bring to my work as a midwife and a midwifery educator.