Franka Cadée, PhD, Denmark and The Netherlands

The Power Of Stories Podcast

Franka Cadée, PhD is a midwife, an anthropologist, a mother, a gardener and avid rower. Franka’s passion in life has been sexual and reproductive justice and she is currently Director of Global Initiatives at Maternity Foundation in Copenhagen.

In this episode, Franka discusses the origins of her passion for sexual and reproductive justice… the politics of aid… studying anthropology and, within that, medical anthropology… her decision to leave academia and to become a midwife… midwifery as a fantastic profession that is deeply important to women, their families, and their community… her definition of “a good birth”… how people can become powerful and strong when they can access the rights they deserve…midwives as a marginalized group globally whose knowledge has not been valued and has been medicalized in many ways… her former role as President of the International Confederation of Midwives… the important leadership quality of asking for help… overcoming a fear of public speaking… the global, skills-building work of Maternity Foundation that supports midwives and skilled birth attendants in facilitating safer births… our responsibility to support each other and to use our voice, because our voice matters.
(Denmark and The Netherlands)