This International Day of the Midwife, SafeHands Founder Director, Nancy Durrell McKenna reflects back on her 30 years experiences photographing and filming births and the work of midwives in the UK and abroad.

Lesley is Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at St. Mary's Hospital, Imperial College London and the 30th President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. 

Guest Blog Post by Charlie Cadbury from our partner Say It Now

Last Thursday, I was invited to an intimate session at the Royal Institute hosted by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation.  The foundation had invited representatives from leading healthcare charities and governing bodies. The title of the session was “Making The Case For Global Health” and it was fascinating to hear the macro view of one of my business heroes, William Henry Gates III.

In my household, my mom gave my older sister and me a flowery gift box to keep our tampons and pads in under the bathroom sink. It wasn’t supposed to ever be something shameful – if anything, it added to the intrigue of periods for me before I started my own – but as I reflect on period stigma, I can’t help but wondering if this added or removed period shame within our household? Does wanting privacy about my period mean I was ashamed of it?

This Mother’s Day, share your own bloody good chat with your mum about periods in your family. #LetsTalkPeriodsMum

This International Women’s Day, we’re taking It’s a Menstrual Cup international and celebrating three incredible women fighting period stigma around the world.

Last week, SafeHands was filming around Bahir Dar, in Northwest Ethiopia.

This Galentine's Day, 13 February, SafeHands for Mothers is calling on women to change the way we talk about periods. On this day of spreading love with the women in your life, we ask women to consider the benefits of a menstrual cup on social media with the hashtag #loveyourcup.  

Survivors' stories must lead the way to ending FGM, as the first person in the UK has been found guilty of FGM 

I’ve learned to let go of normal expectations in my line of work as a documentary filmmaker, so found it thrilling that this champion of menstrual cups in Malawi was a woman past the age of needing them… and had blue hair.