Canadian Association Of Midwices Endorses SOGC Rejection Of Bill C-484

Main Category: Nursing / Midwifery
Article Date: 01 Oct 2008 - 1:00 PDT

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As the national professional association representing midwives in Canada, the Canadian Association of Midwives (CAM) advocates for midwifery as a publicly funded, self-regulating and integral part of the primary maternity care system in all provinces and territories in Canada. CAM also has a mandate to provide information about midwifery to the public, governments and other health professionals, promote high quality midwifery models of care, and participate in national and international initiatives for maternal and newborn health.

On September 4th 2008, the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada (SOGC) issued a media release entitled: SOGC recommends that Parliament reject Bill C-484. CAM shares the concerns that the SOGC carefully elaborated in its full position statement, dated June 23rd 2008, with regard to this Bill.

The Canadian Association of Midwives, representing 850 members and provincial/territorial midwifery associations across Canada, fully supports the following recommendations made by the SOGC:

1. That Parliament reject this Bill as a threat to:
a. the health and well-being of pregnant women and their foetus'
b. women's reproductive and sexual rights
c. the practice of obstetrics and gynaecology;

2. That Parliament recognize that Bill C-484 does nothing to address violence against women and that it should renew efforts to protect pregnant women from domestic and other violence that injures or kills them and results in the miscarriage of their foetus in utero;

3. That existing Canadian law granting legal status to the foetus at birth be maintained.

We respectfully request that the views of our professional associations be noted and considered, and that any reintroduction of Bill C-484 or similar legislation in the next Parliament be rejected.

Kerstin Martin RM MA President, Canadian Association of Midwives/Association canadienne des sages-femmes

Canadian Association of Midwives