Repent Khamis George, President of SSNAMA, and Agnes Juan Silver, Executive Director speak on Eye Radio’s Dawn show, May 6, 2024. Photo Credit|Awan Moses|Eye Radio

The South Sudan Nurses and Midwives Association is actively advocating for the inclusion of men in the nursing and midwifery profession, urging them to break down barriers and join this vital field in the country.

According to the institution, out of roughly 30,000 nurses and midwives registered with it, only ten percent are men.

Agnes Juan Silver is the executive director of the association.

She said the misconception that men cannot be midwives should be abandoned, citing negative cultural norms.

“The common misconception is that a man cannot be a midwife, in South Sudan we have some midwives who are men, people also tend to call them midmen, it can never be midmen because the one who gives birth is only a woman,” said Juan.

“Many boys and men don’t want to be midwives, they say it is women’s profession, okay if we say that what about obstetricians and gynaecologists, who are they, they are men, so what is the difference?

“They also examine women, if we say it is privacy, they are also seeing. If we say no man should see a woman that means obstetricians and gynaecologists should also be women as well, and if it like we cannot move forward.”

Repent Khamis George, the President of the South Sudan Nurses and Midwives Association said although it is a predominantly female-led profession, nursing and midwifery should not stand in a man’s way of pursuing them as careers.

As a professional midwife, Khamis described himself as “a living example”, urging boys and men not to shy away from joining the profession.

“[Many] men are refusing to join the midwifery profession, I want to tell those who still have that mentality,” said Khamis.

“I’m a living example, when I joined the midwifery school, there was a lot of opposition from my family, community, and colleagues. But I realized that the choosing midwifery profession was something great,” he said.

“I have never regretted it in my life, and instead I have enjoyed working with people around the world.

“There is no regret, that’s why I want to tell all the youth out there that the midwifery profession is just like any other profession. It is a noble profession, come and join, there are many schools for midwifery and nursing.”

Yesterday was the International Day of the Midwife.

It is annually celebrated on 5 May and was established in 1992 by the International Confederation of Midwives to celebrate and raise awareness about the midwifery profession

Midwives perform a vital service in providing care and support to women and their families while pregnant, throughout labour and during the period after a baby’s birth.

The day was celebrated under the theme: “Midwives: A Vital Climate Solution.”