Regulation - licensing of midwives

This dataset shows whether countries require midwives to obtain a professional licence to legally practise midwifery. Licensing is a key regulatory mechanism that ensures midwives meet national standards of competence and accountability before entering the workforce. It also protects the public by confirming qualifications and professional readiness. This indicator reflects the formal recognition of midwifery as a regulated profession. Data Source: State of the World"s Midwifery (SoWMy) global and regional reports: https://internationalmidwives.org/resources/state-of-the-worlds-midwifery-2021/ The State of the World’s Midwifery (SoWMy) series of reports, led by ICM, UNFPA, and WHO, provides country-level data on the midwifery workforce, including national midwives" associations, education, leadership, and regulation. It highlights gaps and opportunities to strengthen midwife-led care and improve maternal and newborn health outcomes. Data were collected by the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) in collaboration with Novametrics through a global midwifery regulatory survey. This is one of many datasets featured on the Midwives’ Data Hub, a digital platform designed to strengthen midwifery and advocate for better maternal and newborn health services.