One of our strategic aims is to build the midwifery community – and at the heart of that is a sense of belonging. The equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) initiatives the Royal College of Midwives pursues are not merely desirable but vital for staff and members alike.
Black History Month takes place in the UK every October and presents an opportunity to reflect, celebrate and reaffirm progress toward racial equality and equity in various sectors, including health. This year’s theme of Standing firm in power and pride resonates with my journey as a midwife and my current efforts to drive change through an equality lens.
As a midwife, I value providing equitable and safe care for many families over the years. Still, I acknowledge the disparity that continues to affect families and the maternity staff from the global majority. While my equality journey focused on an organisational approach, I stood firm and proud to advance the work, particularly in maternity services, for all.
Echoing the importance of inclusivity and belonging goes far beyond a month of raising awareness, celebrating pioneers or unsung heroes. It’s about understanding the authenticity of individuals and how that shapes the environments in which we work. More often, we hear of communities overlooked due to their race or ethnicity, but if we want change, we must be intentional and make the change we want to see. We must all stand in our truth, reflecting on ourselves and how we contribute to making a difference that benefits all.
The RCM is absolutely committed to acting intentionally, ensuring that we continue to apply an EDI lens to every aspect of our work, from supporting those in the workplace all the way through to how we influence governments.
Through feedback, we have been informed that RCM reps are engaging in forums across the organisation. For the Race Matters Initiative, our team meets regularly to monitor work across the RCM that supports our members in directly addressing inequalities or challenging racial discrimination in the workplace. Each meeting is underpinned by measurable outcomes, set timelines, and clear accountability to maintain momentum and ensure responsibility at all levels. We continue to review exceptional cases through our internal panel to ensure that we provide enhanced support for our members.
Our Race to Lunch workshops remain vital in the current climate, as we are observing a rise in racial discrimination, violence and hate crimes related to racism and Islamophobia, with the potential for more harassment in the workplace.
We are working with the TUC, to which the RCM is affiliated, to facilitate training on addressing the rise of far right activism, as well as addressing sexual harassment of Black women in the workplace. . While supporting our members to have their voices heard, our Equality Alumni have played a vital role over the past year by attending various conferences to keep midwifery visible in solidarity. Our team provided oral evidence to the House of Commons Health & Social Care Select Committee’s review of Black maternal health and our groundbreaking decolonising the curriculum toolkit continues to have a positive impact on the experiences of student midwives from the global majority.
I am really proud of what the RCM has achieved to date – and we will be marking Black History Month with our Proud to Be campaign, a celebration of identity, culture, professionalism, and belonging. We would love you to get involved and tell us: what are you proud to be?
Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the RCM’s journey toward greater inclusion. Your dedication gives us hope for a future where equity is a lived reality, not just in the workplace, but throughout society, standing firm in power and pride.
Register for the Black History Month event via: National Black History Event – Standing in Power and Pride – Where next ? Tickets, Fri 17 Oct 2025 at 10:30 | Eventbrite
