Advice: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that videos on this page may contain images, voices or names of deceased persons
In Australia we assume that women giving birth have their choices and preferences respected. Most Australian women do not imagine that having a baby means being sent by bus or plane far from their home and families, yet this is the very experience of many Aboriginal women living in remote towns in northern and central Australia. Aboriginal culture and western medicine share an uncomfortable interface. The medical establishment has centralised hospital birth services providing the highest level of obstetric care and safety for women experiencing a potentially life-threatening event. For Aboriginal women confronted with the distress of being separated from their family and community the problem appears equally insurmountable. To circumvent the anxiety of being sent away women avoid the medical system.
Aboriginal nurse, midwife, academic, educator... Joan Winch has overcome numerous professional and personal hurdles to make an extraordinary contribution to Aboriginal health.
Yatdjuligin: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nursing and midwifery care
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