Iron Jawed Angels

Iron Jawed Angels is one of my all-time favourite films. It’s a beautiful movie – a wonderful tribute to the suffragist movement in the US and to the power humans have to create change. I found myself thinking about those mighty suffragists quite a bit this past week when I went to Halifax to stand in support of the new Nova Scotian Midwifery Act.

I took my eldest son (he’s now 13) and we stood with an incredible group – grandmothers, mothers, fathers, midwives, doulas, women’s health advocates – all people who have been working to bring midwifery into the Nova Scotian health care system (for some, the fight has lasted decades.)

“Adding midwives to our teams of health-care professional allows us to better meet the needs of moms and families across Nova Scotia.” – Nova Scotia Minister of Health, Chris d’Entremont

Thanks so much to those of you who sent best wishes after my post on November 15. Since then, the bill has had its second reading. Comments from that reading included, “members of all parties were supportive and made many positive comments, including that physiologic birth needs to return to communities and midwives were the ones to do it.” Hurray! You know how I love the idea of the community of birth!

The Midwifery Act went to the Law Amendments Committee this afternoon for a round of presentations. I’ll keep you posted as to what happens next!

Here’s a photo from November 15th at Province House.
Nova Scotia’s own Iron Jawed Angels.

And for history’s sake…
I saw this on someone’s MySpace page the other day and knew I needed to post it as well.
Emma Goldman’s mug shots from September, 1901.