Present activities:                                  

For the last triennium I have been serving with the International Confederation of Midwives as Executive Board Member and as Treasurer. In this position, together with the ICM staff, we are running ICM’s daily business.

ICM is the only global organization of Midwifery Associations worldwide. ICM is running programs to speed up midwifery care worldwide to benefit Mothers and Babies. It is a shame daily still 1000 women are dying worldwide because of a lack of proper midwifery care. Well educated and regulated midwives can make the difference. According to the recent State of the World Midwifery report, there is a shortage of at least 350.000 midwives. ICM contributes by strengthening  Midwives and Midwifery Associations. The pillars focused on are:  Education, Regulation  and Competences, and Association Building.

Together with partners ICM is active in 20 countries in Asia-Pacific and Africa and Latin America. See for more details ICM’s website: www.internationalmidwives.org

Currently I am an editor of the Annual reports of the Dutch Perinatal Data registration, which ensures new and on-going data registration and analysis from MNCH primary care, and hospital care. This includes data from midwives, general practitioners, gynecologists, pediatricians and pathologists. Furthermore, I lead research at the University of Amsterdam, the Academic Medical Center, on a part time basis. Also I am the chair of a national political party in my region. Please see attached CV for detailed information about my present and past work and experience.

Experience

For seven years, up to 2005, I was President of The Royal Dutch Midwifery Association.. At the end of my presidency of KNOV, which started during an extremely difficult period of time for midwifery in The Netherlands because of a shortage of midwives, who were underpaid; the number of midwives increased up to the required level, and their income doubled.

Until 2009 I was Chief Midwife at the Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and I was director of the MSc Midwifery program. For 4 years, until September 2007, I was Vice-President of the European Forum of National Nursing and Midwifery Associations, EFNNMA.

As EMA (European Midwifery Association) Board Member I was responsible for the secretariat and for the bookkeeping, budget and annual accounts.

These activities gave me a lot of experience on national and international with human and financial resources.

Besides management skills with financial competencies I am trained in education and research, with publications. See CV.