"Midwives matter!" Empowering Midwives’ Associations through digital

We are thrilled to announce the launch of Lightful’s recent Building Resilience in Digital Growth and Engagement (BRIDGE) programme - in partnership with the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) and The Gates Foundation. This new cohort marks a pivotal moment in Lightful’s journey, as it is the first time we are working exclusively with Midwives’ Associations (MAs) from across Africa. This programme, the first of two, aims to work with them to strengthen their digital resilience, enabling over 15 associations from across Africa to amplify their voices online, advocate for midwifery as an essential part of healthcare, and highlight the vital role midwives play in sexual and reproductive health for women and girls.

Why digital matters for midwives’ associations

Midwives play a crucial role in the healthcare system, providing essential services during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. They offer personalised, holistic care that focuses on the physical, emotional, and social well-being of both the mother and baby. MAs are instrumental in advancing the profession of midwifery, improving maternal and newborn health outcomes, and ensuring that midwives have the resources and support they need to deliver exceptional care to women and their families, often working in communities with limited resources. In this digital age, it’s more important than ever that their voices are heard. The true power of advocacy lies in aligning grassroots initiatives with global efforts, and digital has an important role to play in fostering this movement within healthcare. By developing a robust digital presence, MAs can raise awareness about their work, advocate for increased rights and recognition, and share impactful stories that resonate with their clients, their communities, relevant stakeholders and the wider public.

At Lightful, we believe that digital skills are critical for strengthening nonprofit resilience. Through the BRIDGE programme, we are helping Midwives’ Associations leverage digital platforms to tell their stories, engage their audiences, advocate in new ways, and fundraise more effectively. Digital resilience is about using the right tools and strategies to overcome challenges and drive long-term change—a key focus for the Associations taking part who are ready to enhance their digital transformation.

The BRIDGE programme: building resilience through digital

BRIDGE has supported thousands of nonprofits, social enterprises and grassroots organisations globally by helping them adopt digital strategies and AI tools that increase their impact and future-proof their communications and fundraising efforts. In this cohort, we are privileged to support Midwives’ Associations who are dedicated to improving maternal and child health outcomes in their communities. Through a blended learning approach, participants will learn how to:

• Develop strategic digital campaigns that amplify their advocacy efforts
• Craft compelling digital stories that raise awareness and and support
• Engage their communities and different audiences more effectively online
• Create a robust digital strategy to increase their association’s resilience

The majority of associations are in the early stages of digital literacy, with 73% either just beginning their digital journey or exploring how digital tools can enhance their work. Over the next six months, the BRIDGE team will introduce essential digital practices that participants can begin to integrate into their associations. Toward the end of the programme, the most engaged participants will be selected to continue their learning with BRIDGE Advanced, a six-month follow-up course designed to take their digital skills to the next level!

While participating in BRIDGE, attendees have access to Lightful Academy, our e-learning platform, as well as the Lightful Social Platform, a social media management tool equipped with AI-powered features to enhance digital storytelling and campaigns. One feature that is popular with this group is the Persona Creator, which guides users through the process of creating an audience persona that they can use to ensure their content is reaching the right people online.

"AI feedback with the persona tool has been a game changer for our association’s social media content. It helps me craft posts that perfectly suit our audience's needs and interests." - Pearl Agatha Kwikiriza, National Midwives Association of Uganda (NMAU)

At Lightful, we’ve always believed that those doing the most good deserve access to the best technology. It's encouraging to see participants excited about AI and other digital tools, recognising their potential to amplify their mission and enhance organisational efficiency and resilience. As the digital transformation of the sector accelerates, it’s crucial that midwives associations aren’t left behind. By embracing these innovations, they can strengthen their impact, better engage their communities, and ensure their vital work remains at the forefront of healthcare advocacy and conversations.

Insights from the ICM regional conference in Africa

This cohort's journey had an exciting start with the ICM Regional Conference that took place in September in Kigali, Rwanda. With the theme Midwives 360: Associations for a Changing World, the conference aimed to support midwives to develop the skills needed to build and grow strong Associations and advocate for the profession. It was exciting to see digital as a key part of this agenda.

Lightful’s Head of Programmes Róisín McGovern, and Digital Training Lead Jasmine Warren, hosted a full-day workshop on empowering Midwives’ Associations through digital. We were delighted to have the opportunity to meet BRIDGE participants in real life, and spend a whole day talking all things digital! During this session, participants explored the concept of digital resilience and how it applies to their Associations. They learned about storytelling as a powerful tool for advocacy, how to build their Association’s core narrative, and how to leverage digital platforms to amplify the role of midwives in maternal healthcare.

The workshop included interactive group discussions on the challenges and opportunities MAs face in the digital space, as well as conversations on how attendees could strengthen their online presence by empowering their entire team to adopt a more digital way of communicating and campaigning.

Some key takeaways included:

• Storytelling for advocacy: Midwives have powerful stories to tell. These stories have the ability to move people emotionally, inspire action, and drive real-life change within the healthcare advocacy space. The role of the midwife is universal, and digital storytelling can help bridge the gap between their work and global conversations about maternal health.
• Digital strategy is key: Everyone agreed on the importance of having a clear digital strategy that should involve everyone. From volunteers to vice presidents, and the midwives themselves, every team member plays a crucial role in shaping the organisation’s digital approach. By involving all levels, the entire team can contribute to a cohesive strategy and advocate for making digital a priority.
• Online giving isn’t just for traditional NGOs: Digital tools empower midwives to engage not only with their local communities but also to connect with a global network of donors and supporters. The group recognised the potential of integrating fundraising into awareness and advocacy campaigns, creating opportunities to attract meaningful support from a worldwide audience.
  

One thing is certain, Midwives’ Associations have a powerful voice, a compelling story, and a strong desire to share it with the world - midwives matter. Digital is often an untapped resource across the nonprofit sector, particularly for Midwives’ Associations who don’t typically identify as NGOs in the same way as ot her organisations. We hope that through Lightful’s learning journey, participants will feel confident and empowered to become digital champions within their Associations, and beyond.

Looking ahead: supporting Midwives’ Associations in their digital journey

As we move forward with this cohort, we are excited to see how participants will implement the skills they’ve learned through the BRIDGE programme. The most engaged associations will continue their digital learning journey with a follow on BRIDGE Advanced programme! By using digital tools effectively, they will be better equipped to advocate for maternal and child health, increase funding, and create long-lasting change within their communities.

Look out for more content about our ICM programmes soon, and stay up to date on all things #LightfulBRIDGE on our social media.