McMaster University Midwifery

Taking a look at Quebec with Josyane Giroux during our Rapid Fire Midwifery Student Presentations!

Josyane will be presenting Addressing Funding Barriers and Enablers to Expand the Contribution of Midwives to Equitable SRH care in Quebec, Canada at 3:30pm EST this Friday!

Register here: https://mcmaster.zoom.us/meeting/register/J3rtX2IxRlq9VkMzYLH2Gg?fbclid=IwY2xjawPR9sxleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETF0VzN4WE5LbUwyb002MVI4c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHttaEbBapsEPnp_PPs5ecQKrtqZgUzlSL043gCCdWhuNH1D3XfxmNQm-bZm1_aem_OakK_EW3JZTqmY5Ssp4VBg #/registration

Midwifery has been a legally recognized profession in Quebec since 1999. Currently, only about 7% of people who give birth in the province can access midwifery care. This gap persists despite strong evidence that midwives provide safe, high-quality care and play an important role in improving equity in sexual and reproductive health. Research shows that access to midwifery is shaped by more than workforce numbers alone. It is influenced by political and healthcare system structures, leadership and workforce capacity, funding approaches, the availability and use of data, and policies and governance that can either support or limit the profession’s expansion. Building on a national study led by Dr. Liz Darling, this project focuses on the Quebec context and aims to identify solutions to expand equitable access to midwifery care while preserving the profession’s distinct strengths and transformative potential. The project is grounded in the hypothesis that funding decisions are shaped by broader structures and oppressive systems within which decision-makers and stakeholders operate, thereby limiting the effective allocation of resources for midwifery. Guided by a community advisory committee, this collaborative, qualitative research will involve interviews with midwifery leaders, community advocates, and healthcare decision-makers. Together, they will help identify funding barriers within the healthcare system and highlight conditions that support more equitable growth of midwifery. This research takes place at a pivotal moment for midwifery in Quebec and across Canada. The findings will generate practical, policy-relevant recommendations and support strategies to improve access to midwifery care, particularly for communities facing systemic barriers to care.
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