Frances Day-Stirk

Frances Day-Stirk is Former President of the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), having been re-elected in 2014 for a second and final term. ICM is a non-governmental organisation and the voice of global midwifery. ICM is the voice of over 400,000 midwives in 120 midwifery association member in over 100 countries. She provides leadership of the organisation and together with the members of the ICM board is responsible for the organisations’ governance, development, viability and achieving its mission.

Jamaican-born Frances received her professional midwifery education and qualifications in the United Kingdom having initially trained as a nurse. Her 30 years of midwifery experience spans clinical practice, education, maternity service management and global midwifery.

Her previous European and global roles and experiences include: Vice-chair, European Forum of Nursing and Midwifery Associations and WHO Steering committee; Executive Committee Member, Global Network of Collaborating Centres (WHO); European Midwives Association. She is a current Board Member of the Partnership for Maternal and Child Health (WHO), the Global Health Workforce Alliance (WHO) and THET.

Her professional interests include organisation of maternity services, women’s choice in place of birth, homebirth, promoting normality, and global maternal and newborn health care.