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Elaine Dietsch, PhD: International Midwifery Presentations

Elaine Dietsch (PhD, MN(WH), DSHC, RN, RM) is a Senior Lecturer in Midwifery and a Researcher with the Centre for Inland Health at the Wagga Wagga campus of Charles Stuart University in New South Wales, Australia. Elaine is the midwifery course coordinator at Charles Sturt University. Her midwifery and nursing clinical experience has been in rural maternity units and community health centres and as a midwifery consultant with Birth International. She has had the privilege of working as a midwife, early childhood nurse and in women's and sexual health in Australia, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo (each year Elaine spends time with women and midwives in Africa in a short-term voluntary capacity).

Elaine's clinical midwifery involves working primarily with the women and young Congolese girls who have survived sexual assault and torture in this beautiful but war-ravaged country. Many of these women and adolescent girls conceive when they are repeatedly raped by multiple rebels and militia men. The babies, though loved and cherished by their mothers and the women in their communities, are often referred to as the "souvenirs of bad memories". The women Elaine works with each year have pleaded with her to tell their stories to people in Australia. For this reason, she makes herself available to speak with individuals, the media and community groups who invite her to share
about life in the Democratic Republic of Congo with them. The midwifery research team Elaine works with focuses on the needs of women living in rural and remote Australia. Through research and midwifery education they work towards helping to ensure all women have the choice of access to midwifery led services, independent of their postal code!

Elaine travelled to Vancouver and Prince George to present her research.  WebEx recordings from this event are now available for download:

 

Presentation 1:
"Luckily we had a torch": Contemporary Birthing Experiences of Women Living in Rural and Remote NSW, Australia
The findings of a study funded by the Nurses and Midwives Board of NSW, will be presented. Forty-two women living in rural and remote areas of NSW, Australia shared their stories of having to move away from their communities to birth. Women told how the real and actual risks of unsafe road travel; separation and isolation from partners, children, families and community support; financial hardship and the negative impact on emotional wellbeing and family cohesion were ignored. While childbirth is undeniably unpredictable in nature, the risks for healthy pregnant women are small and potential rather than actual and even labour and birth at a tertiary, urban referral centre can never remove uncertainty or guarantee a healthy mother and baby. The presentation will argue that it is time to stop maternity unit closures in rural Australia and other nations, including Canada. It is time to rethink strategies that will enable healthy pregnant women choices as to whether or not they labour and birth in their own rural communities.
[Link to full paper]

Presentation 2:
Hell, Horror and Hope in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Women and girls in rural and remote areas in the south-east of DRC continue to experience sexual assault and torture on a scale that is threatening to annihilate them, their families and communities ~ the socalled negative peace! Traditional midwives and the women and girls they serve pleaded for someone from outside DRC to spend time with them, work alongside them, listen to their stories and share what is happening with anyone/everyone who dares to listen. It was for this reason that I travel to Africa each year to work alongside these midwives and women.

The stories to be shared in this paper are essentially stories of extreme cruelty, torture and horror. They are also stories that demonstrate the strength, courage and resilience of strong and inspiring Congolese midwives, women and girls. They are told in honour of the Congolese midwives, women and girls who shared them and pleaded that they be heard. The presentation will confront all who care about another's suffering and international human rights issues relating to the rape and torture of women and girls as a strategy of war.

**Potential participants at this presentation are warned that the information shared is very disturbing. However, the stories and slides to accompany them are essentially a message of hope.