Establishment of Regional
Confederation of Midwives
CONAMA- Confederation of
African Midwives
Associations
Elgonda Bekker- Representative SOMSA in steering committee
History
• Ghana in 2007
• Uganda in 2010
• African Midwives Associations- Uganda ICM Africa
conference agreed to constitute a Regional Body for
midwives
• Each country represented at the conferencerepresentative to the task force
• Task Force - establishment of Regional Body formed
May 2010 in Kampala at the 2nd Regional ICM
Conference for African Midwives
• Presentation done at 29th triennial congress in
chaotic meeting
Further steps
• Constitution finalization meeting – Birchwood:
12th to 16th June, 2012
• Goal - to establish a continental professional
midwifery confederation to:
• To advocate for and strengthen autonomous
member associations to advance the profession
of midwifery in Africa by promoting quality
Education, Regulation and midwifery practice in
order to enhance the reproductive health of
women, and the health of their newborn and
their families.
OBJECTIVES OF WORKSHOP:
• Review submitted comments on the draft
CONAMA constitution
• Update and upgrade the draft constitution for
finalization
• Agree on next steps for establishing CONAMA
• Plan for 3RD ICM AFRICAN MIDWIVES
CONGRESS 2013 to be held in KENYA
EXPECTATIONS
• The expectations from the participants were
mainly to finalize the constitution
• To finalize the concept of the logo
• Plan for the ICM Africa conference scheduled
for Kenya in 2013
• To consider the Feedback from the 3
Francophone countries
MEMBERS PRESENT
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Association of Malawian Midwives -Keith Lipato
Ghana Registered Midwives Association- Joyce Jetuah
Kenya Midwives Association -Dr. Grace M. Omoni
Mali Midwives Association -Dicko Fatoumata Maiga
Midwives Association of Zambia Association -David Mbewe
Professional Association of Nigeria Midwives -Rose Samuel
Agbi
Society of Midwives of South Africa-Elgonda Bekker
South Sudan Society of Midwives -Petronella Wawa
Sudan Midwives Association -Siama Abdalla Ladu
Uganda Private Midwives Organization -Mary Gorret
Musoke
TECHNICAL ADVISORY TEAM
• Abigail Kyei -International Midwife Advisor - ICM
• Dr Jemima Dennis-Antwi- Regional Advisor for
Anglophone Africa – ICM
• Rachel Ibinga Koula -Regional Advisor for
Francophone Africa – ICM
• Ramatu Daroda - Ipas- Snr. Health Systems
Advisor
• Joseph Aboagye Debrah -Legal Advisor. 1st Law
Ghana Ltd
KEY ISSUES ARRIVED AT
• The team agreed name CONAMA maintained
• Anglophone African countries with a view of
collaborating with other existing regional
bodies.
• Task Force on the establishment of CONAMA
should serve as Board members in an interim
capacity for a period of 3 years until elections
can be conducted.
CONAMA HEAD QUARTER ELEGIBILITY
• Association should have at least 500 members
• Record of holding regular meetings
• Good financial status, with a paid up
membership to CONAMA
• Dynamic leadership
• Country- politically stable
• Permission from government
• Association in existence at least 2years
MEETINGS
• CONAMA congress - every 18 months before
ICM triennial congress
• Another meeting of CONAMA at the ICM
Congress
• Purpose- to progress matters of importance
for ICM council meetings
Way forward
•
•
•
•
Typing and consolidation of comments
Share the constitution with local Associations
Sending the document to the Legal Advisor
Circulate to two Francophone task force
members
• Share the report with ICM, UNFPA and Ipas
• Proposal for funding
• Finalization of the logo
Content of proposed constitution
• Vision
• Confederation
of
African
Midwives
Associations (CONAMA) envisions an African
continent where competent midwives are
available in all settings to provide quality
midwifery care to and in partnership with
women, their families and the community.
MISSION
• To improve reproductive, newborn and
child health in Africa by advocating for
and
strengthening
autonomous
midwifery member associations to
promote quality education, regulation
and midwifery practice.
AIM
• To enhance advocacy in Midwifery and
for Midwifery care in partnership with
women, families and the community.
OBJECTIVES
• To promote and strengthen autonomous evidence based midwifery
practice in partnership with women.
• To advance quality basic and higher midwifery education.
• To promote strong midwifery regulation.
• To promote strong independent midwifery professional associations
regional and international collaboration and partnerships
• To safeguard the professional interest of the midwife in relation to
work environment and professional practice by strengthening
leadership.
• To promote and strengthen scholarship development of the
Midwifery profession in Africa
• To work towards improving women and newborn health in
members states.
• To promote strong leadership in midwifery through strengthening
the function of midwifery associations
• To have the Secretariat serve as an income-generating entity
• The by-laws, as a continuous developmental structure
ARTICLES
• Article 1: Name and registered office
• Article 2: Eligibility
• Article 3:Categories and qualification of
membership
• Article 4:Applications for membership
• Article 5:Suspensions of rights
• Article 6:Termination of membership
ARTICLES CONT.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Article 7: Governance
Article 8: Composition of the council
Article 9: Meetings of council
Article 10:Council meeting
Article 11: Voting in council meetings
Article 12: Board members
Article 13: Terms of office -terminating
membership of the board /suspension
• Article
14:
Tasks,
responsibilities
and
representation of the board
ARTICLES CONT.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Article 15: Meetings of the board members
Article 16: Notices
Article 17: Quorum of the board
Article 18: Finance
Article 19: Secretariat/secretary-general
Article 20: Amendment of the constitution
Article 21: Dissolution of CONAMA
Article 22: By-laws
Suggested logo’s
Suggested logo’s
In preparation of the birth of CONAMA
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Invitation of countries
Conducting meetings with country associations for briefing
Set up a planning Committee
Establishment of a website to facilitate information
dissemination.
Design a letter head for the Task Force of CONAMA
Open a separate Bank account for the 3rd ICM Africa
Conference 2013
Actively involve the ICM country Representatives
Circulate the constitution to the ICM country
Representatives
ACTUAL CONAMA 2013 CONFERENCE
ACTIVITIES
• Establish the hosting of CONAMA series
• Prepare proper invitations indicating clearly who
has to attend the meeting in advance
• Host interim Council meeting before a larger
meeting to approve continuation
• Conduct one on one meeting with countries that
have multiple associations
• Make people aware that they can start preparing
for election of council in positions
CONFERENCE PROPOSAL
•
•
•
•
•
Registration: -International delegates - $500
Local delegates - $300
Venue: Nairobi, Kenya- probably Safari Centre
Proposed date: Week of 15-19 July 2013
Hosted by :Kenyan Midwives Association
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
• Ipas for funding the meeting and provision of
technical support
• ICM for funding, technical support,
administrative support and coordination of
activities on CONAMA related issues
• Adopting this as an ICM event
• Task force members
Questions?
Thank you.