Bangladesh Midwifery Society (BMS)

History: A strong professional midwives’ association is an important pillar of a strong midwifery profession; it gives visibility and credibility, makes the profession attractive and creates demand for midwifery services. It also makes midwives proud and gives them a sense of belonging. The Bangladesh Midwifery Society (BMS) is the association of midwives in Bangladesh, founded on 18 August 2010, is the voice for all midwives in Bangladesh. BMS is registered by the Department of women’s affairs. Currently, there are 6,480 members of BMS. BMS supports the rights of women to access safe and respectful maternity care. From June 2017 to December 2022, BMS has been implementing a twinning project with Royal College of Midwives (RCM) UK and from January 2023 BMS has started implementing a project titled “Association strengthening support for BMS” funded by UNFPA and supported by International Confederation of Midwives (ICM). BMS is 100% led by women and work for women. BMS is an active member of ICM. ICM is a key stakeholder and partner towards the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. ICM represents over one million midwives globally. BMS is working in close collaboration with the Government of Bangladesh, UN, International and National NGOs to fulfill the SDGs 3, 4 and 5. According to these SDGs, BMS will help to reduce the global maternal mortality ratio, reduce deaths of newborns and children under-five and ensure access to sexual and reproductive health care. BMS will ensure inclusive and equitable quality education of midwives and promote lifelong learning opportunities for their career development and advocacy on gender issues like - early marriage, GBV management, reduce unnecessary C-sections. Primary Activities of BMS: The Bangladesh Midwifery Society (BMS) is a professional association and the voice of all midwives of Bangladesh. BMS is a member of the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM). BMS supports the