6 minute read
NGĀ MĀIA
LISA KELLY (NGĀI TAI, NGĀTI PUKEKO)
NGĀ MĀIA CHAIRPERSON, REGISTERED MIDWIFE
A Māori midwife for every whānau
Reflecting on this past year as the Chairperson of Ngā Māia, there have been many challenges that we have faced and overcome, as the health reforms have stepped up another level in Aotearoa. The word equity is uttered over and over again, but much like the phrase “closing the gaps” from the 90s, I’m left wondering whether people actually know what the word means, let alone how it can be achieved?
Ngā Māia has been approached from all angles - to sit on boards, panels and advisory committees left right and centre, as it seems the difference between equity and equality is still not well understood. What is not required is equal representation; rather, a panel or board which prioritises treatment and care based on need. Therefore, wouldn’t it be pertinent to have the right people from inception, who ensure Māori are prioritised and central to forming advisory groups, rather than a last minute call to action because there aren’t enough brown faces at the table? As discussed last issue by my colleague Tamara Karu, honest conversations about racism and a commitment to policy and procedures are required moving forward, in order to ensure our people’s needs are put first.
We know there are not enough Māori midwives to fulfil the needs of whānau Māori as they enter into the most important journey of their lives: parenthood. Last count, according to Midwifery Council Workforce Survey 2022, there were 370 practising kahu pōkai Māori throughout the motu providing care across the scope. This is a far cry from the 17,000 pēpi Māori born in Aotearoa in 2021 according to Statistics NZ and only a small increase from the 285 midwives who identified as Māori in 2016, meaning the Māori workforce has increased by just 85 midwives over the last six years, equating to an average of 14 additional Māori midwives per year. Equitable? Hardly.
SO WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT IT?
Apart from growing midwifery leaders to champion anti-racism, Ngā Māia are looking to the taonga of our tipuna, “nga taonga a o tatou matua tipuna”, the highly prized practices and beliefs of our forebears, our ancestors (Rangimarie Rose Pere, 1991). This will form the foundation for a Māori midwifery kura, or as it’s been proposed, a Bachelor of Health Sciences - Māori Midwifery; a wharekura where whānau will strive and excel beneath a korowai that is inherently Māori in every facet. Whānau will be safe in the knowledge that no one gets left behind and they will be entering into a workforce that is protective, nurturing and sustainable, leaving the kura not as midwives that are Māori, but as Māori midwives.
This is by no means an easy feat in this western world, however the path our tauira are currently on is one of trauma and neglect and needs to change for the future of our rangatira yet unborn. This is how equity is achieved; whānau Māori need Māori midwives - Māori midwives who put the whole whānau at the centre of care, who are culturally competent, see this world through a te ao Māori lens, believe in the importance of whakapapa, and uphold whānau, hapū and iwi values and beliefs. A Māori midwife for every whānau. square
Brigid’s role expands
Following many years of planning, the College established an Auckland liaison position in early 2020, in response to the unique needs of its 1,000 Auckland members. Spread across three DHBs and caring for Aotearoa’s most diverse birthing populations, the region had been requesting the establishment of a midwifery advisor role for some time, in particular to support members who had been experiencing severe workforce issues.
Brigid Beehan was employed part-time to help strengthen the Auckland region's connections to the national office and its stakeholders. Alongside this, Brigid worked to support the Auckland co-chairs and committee. Within three weeks of the role being established, Covid-19 lockdown Level 4 was announced, sending Aotearoa midwives into an unprecedented world of uncertainty, as they were expected to find a ‘new normal’ whilst continuing to support whānau. The chairs and the Auckland liaison were key supports for the membership during this time and acted as a conduit to the national office. Over the next two years, the role proved invaluable in supporting the chairs and Auckland membership during the most acute phases of the national pandemic response, playing a vital role within the advisory team at the national office. Over this time, Brigid has led the development of a collaborative arrangement between AUT and the College in the delivery of Auckland-based continuing midwifery education.
In 2021, the national board agreed to make the role permanent, and Brigid joined the national office advisor team based in Tāmaki Makaurau. After the retirement of long-serving and highly respected college advisor Jacqui Anderson, Brigid has taken on the portfolios of the Midwifery Standards Review and resolutions committees and now has a national-facing role in the advisory team.
The College acknowledges Brigid for the experience and expertise she brings to the team and looks forward to continuing to nurture the connection between Auckland’s midwives and the national office. square
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Image: Angela Scott Photography
