THE LEARNING OUTCOMES:
The purpose of this workshop is to create a safe and participatory space for midwives and maternity care professionals to critically explore how consent, power dynamics, and obstetric violence manifest in everyday practice—including within interprofessional relationships. Through interactive exercises, reflective dialogue, and case-based scenarios, participants will deepen their understanding of how structural and interpersonal power can impact respectful care. The workshop aims to support participants in developing practical tools for ethical decision-making, personal resilience, and collective action for respectful care while also affirming the emotional realities of working in complex maternity care environments.

THE PROCESS/ACTIVITIES:
In the workshop we use experiential learning to explore core challenges midwives face in ensuring respectful, consent-based care. Participants will rotate through a series of interactive stations or group activities. What sustains respectful care is not just what we do, but how we hold power, navigate relationships, and respond to moments of tension and complexity. To care for others meaningfully, care must be sustained by ethical awareness, reflective practice, and relationships rooted in dignity, trust, and mutual respect. Change begins when we recognize these dynamics and commit to building and restoring relationships. Additional reading Li W, Wang RQ, Attiq-Ur-Rehman, Peng XY, Ge MW, Shen LT, Hu FH, Jia YJ, Tang XL, Chen HL. The moral dilemma of obstetric violence: A meta-synthesis. Nurs Ethics. 2025 Apr 13:9697330251333403. doi:10.1177/09697330251333403 Lips SR, Boxem-Tiemessen JCG, Ligthart AM, Schuitmaker-Warnaar TJ, de Bruijne MC, Verhoeven CJM, Verdonk P, de Jonge A. Bridging Perspectives, Building Resilience: Safety-II Guided Reflexive Dialogues Between Care Professionals and Clients as Part of Developing Integrated Maternity Care. Int J Integr Care. 2024 Oct 22;24(4):4. doi:10.5334/ijic.8588 3. Sterry M. How can professional midwifery advocates use restorative clinical supervision to positively influence staff cultures in midwifery?. MIDIRS Midwifery Digest. 2018; 28:(2)157-160.