Date: 2017-05-03

As workers around the world mark May Day, the wife of Nigeria's Senate President and Wellbeing Foundation Africa Founder, Toyin Saraki seeks respect, investments in midwifery, the role of midwives, their capabilities, capacities, voices, and realities, as the heart of global health solutions for women and girls, newborns, children, their families, their communities, and their countries.

Mrs. Saraki, who commented on the recently published World Health Organization's: Midwives' Voices Midwives Realities report in the lead up to International Day of the Midwife 2017, taking place on Friday 5 May, stated:

"As the Global Goodwill Ambassador for the International Confederation of Midwives, and the Africa Champion for White Ribbon Alliance, I commend the two organizations' unique collaboration with the World Health Organization in the landmark Midwives' Voices Midwives' Realities report."

"The findings highlight that hierarchies of power and gender discrimination hinder progress, but also demonstrate the great potential for improvements in quality of care when the voices of midwives are heard."

"Midwives, nurses and health workers in Nigeria are particularly affected by socio-economic disparities. We thus advocate for workers' right to their earned wages, better salary and welfare packages to enable manage the current recession and crippling inflation. We call for an end to discrimination and disparity in wages; prompt payment of wages; and equal pay for equal work. Finally, we advocate for better maternity and paternity leaves at all levels."

"I ask, and advocate, that we all make it a priority to protect and empower midwives in every health system and country. We must invest in midwives, and midwifery, nationally and internationally."