Stephen has hosted a reception for the Royal College of Midwives in Parliament. The event saw the launch of the RCM pocket guide on caring for vulnerable migrant women.
Over 82 million people were forcibly displaced globally by the end of 2020, driven mainly by conflict. Stephen heard how migrant women face myriad challenges, including violence, exploitation, FGM, and mental health problems. In the context of Afghanistan and Ukraine, RCM’s work is more relevant than ever. Women are disproportionately affected by these conflicts and are forced to flee without warning.
Stephen was pleased to introduce the event, and listened to experts such as Dr Ross-Davie, Director of Professional Midwifery at the Royal College of Midwives, Memuna Sowe, Specialist Midwife (vulnerable and marginalised women) at Croydon Health Services NHS Trust, and Naomi Delap, Director at the Birth Companions charity. A key theme was migrant women’s access to pregnancy care.
Speaking afterwards, Stephen said “A woman’s immigration status should never be a deciding factor on whether she can access pregnancy care, but for some women this is the case. This is shameful.”
You can read a copy of the guidance here.