Mr. Speaker, May 5 is International Day of the Midwife. We hope that soon it will be recognized as the national day of the midwife here in Canada.
Midwives in Canada are represented by the Canadian Association of Midwives. The organization provides leadership and advocacy for midwifery as a regulated primary maternity care system. Midwives are also well positioned to address the specific challenges still faced by women in rural, remote, and aboriginal communities in Canada, as well as in developing nations.
Today, I also attended the event on Parliament Hill by the Canadian Network for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, an organization that works to improve women's and children's health worldwide. Midwives play a critical role in this area too.
We must work on increasing women's access to quality midwifery services. Today, on International Day of the Midwife, I ask all my colleagues to please join me in celebrating the profession of midwifery in Canada and in the world.