Please sign this petition to support Community Midwives℠ to be included in a Bill that will most likely be introduced that does not represent INCLUSION, DIVERSITY, EQUITY, or access to important services for the women who need it the most.
The CPM credential is being pushed which excludes Community Midwives who have always been in existence, trained direct-entry, and have a proven path of competency. There are issues with discrimination with over 3000 white CPMs nationwide, and under 50 black. NARM has not addressed issues of bullying or discrimination. Pushing the CPM as the only direct-entry pathway is contributing to systemic racism. For every 13 White women, 44 black women die. WE NEED COMMUNITY MIDWIVES TO BE SUPPORTED AND INCLUDED.
We have reason to believe that the Georgia Midwives Association is planning to present a bill to our legislation that excludes attainable pathways to licensure for women from black and marginalized communities as Certified Professional Midwives residing in the state of Georgia.
In states where similar bills have passed, such as Alabama, we see dire consequences of failing to express alternative routes to midwifery licensure. Once Alabama passed their Midwifery bill the number of Midwives from black communities reduced to virtually negligible numbers - while criminalizing other direct entry midwives.
The state of Georgia currently accounts for only one black Certified Professional Midwife, who is 75 years old. She is also accounted for being the only black CPM in the state of Tennessee as well. In 1942, Georgia had over 4000 registered black non-nurse midwives - today in 2019, there is only 1!
There are currently over 3000 Certified Professional Midwives nationwide, and less than 50 accounted for are black women. Yet the black communities have continued to suffer the greatest Maternal and Infant disparities due to this systematic certification model that has proven to be inequitable and exclusive.
We are calling on you to stand in solidarity with your Community Midwives and Birth Workers to support us as we demand for the proposed CPM bill be amended for the inclusion of alternative pathways to licensure, thereby helping to ensure the numbers of midwives from communities most affected by maternal and infant death are able to grow.
Currently as proposed, this bill will place an undue burden on black and marginalized communities, increasing barriers of attainment of prenatal and postpartum care. We as Community Midwives need legislation to allow for a pathway to licensure fr non-nurse midwives to legally attend out of hospital and home births in the state of Georgia.
