Australia’s first national conference on respectful maternity care will be held in a bold response to the systemic shortcomings exposed by the NSW Birth Trauma Inquiry last year.
Hosted by the Maternity Consumer Network, the Respectful Maternity Care (RMC) conference will be held on 6-7 March 2026 in Brisbane, and online for interstate and international attendees.
The hybrid event will unite maternity consumers, midwives, obstetricians, researchers and healthcare professionals to champion equity, dignity and cultural safety in maternity services.
Supported by gold sponsor Queensland Nurses and Midwives’ Union (QNMU, ANMF Queensland Branch), the two-day program features peer-reviewed keynote addresses, workshops, oral presentations and poster sessions, covering a spectrum of topics from perinatal mental health to culturally safe care.
An entire day will be exclusive for presenters from First Nations, migrant, refugee and culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
The government’s response to the NSW Birth Trauma inquiry’s 43 recommendations has been widely criticised for lacking legislative reforms, insufficient funding for midwifery models and failure to adequately confront obstetric violence.
The conference’s intentional focus on RMC for marginalised women and families addresses entrenched inequities, including racism, cultural insensitivity and barriers to informed consent.
“This conference isn’t just about dialogue; it’s about dismantling the status quo and centring those most affected by systemic failures.”
Highlights include two renowned international keynote addresses on:
- Culturally competent care and anti-racism innovations in maternal health.
- Global insights on economic strategies to enhance maternity outcomes.
University of Melbourne Professor Meghan Bohren, a global authority on RMC who has spearheaded World Health Organization (WHO) initiatives. Her groundbreaking work directly informs the Respectful Maternity Care Charter, a universal call to action for dignified, rights-based care.
“Birth trauma affects up to one in three Australian women, yet the government’s response to the NSW Inquiry has been inadequate, failing to enact meaningful protections or expand continuity-of-care models.”
“This conference is our call to action: to build a maternity system where every woman is heard, respected and empowered, regardless of background.”
“Respectful maternity care needs to move beyond being a mantra – but action and implementation across Australia.”
For more information including a broad list of presenter topics, visit the Maternity Consumer Network website here
To buy tickets, visit here
Video recordings of hearings of the NSW Birth Trauma Inquiry can be found on the NSW Parliament’s YouTube channel here
