PURPOSE:
South Asian women in the UK continue to experience disproportionate risks in maternity care, including a significantly higher incidence of stillbirth, maternal mortality (MBRRACEUK, 2023), and obstetric anal sphincter injuries (RCM, 2021). The 2024 UK Birth Trauma Inquiry underscored systemic failures in communication, consent, and culturally safe care, particularly for marginalised communities. In response, the Association of South Asian Midwives (ASAM), alongside other partner organisations, health professionals, charities, and women with lived experience, co-led the first South Asian Maternal Health Conference in June 2024. This abstract shares the learning from this event and its impact on tackling inequities through a collaborative, maternity-led model.

DISCUSSION:
The conference was co-designed with diverse partners and stakeholders, centring the voices of South Asian mothers, clinicians, and community leaders. Over 180 attendees, ranging from midwives to policymakers, engaged in workshops, panels, and storytelling to explore trauma-informed care, pelvic health, respectful communication, and inclusive service delivery. The model prioritized co-production and cultural humility, demonstrating how community voice, education, and leadership can drive system-wide change. Key discussions highlighted how stigma, lack of continuity, and underrepresentation in managing care directly contribute to poor experiences and outcomes for South Asian women.

EVIDENCE WHERE RELEVANT:
The 2024 Birth Trauma Inquiry (Parliament,2024) emphasised how marginalised women were often “ignored, dismissed, or dehumanised. Data from MBRRACEUK continues to show that South Asian women experience 60% higher maternal mortality rate than white women. Evaluations from the conference showed improved health care professional confidence in delivering culturally safe care, strengthened cross-sector collaboration, the development of new regional training and care pathways tailored to ethnic disparities.

KEY MESSAGE:
To close the equity gap in maternity care, culturally responsive, maternity-led models grounded in lived experience must be embedded into education, leadership, and commissioning. The South Asian Maternal Health Conference offers a replicable blueprint for addressing trauma, rebuilding trust, and achieving meaningful system transformation. Obstetric violence (including three-minute presentation competition)