This internship aims to carry out a comparative review of initial midwifery education, professional competencies, scopes of practice, and the sociological characteristics of the midwifery profession across the partner countries of the SEA-EU Alliance. The study will focus particularly on admission requirements and educational pathways, including the organisation of theoretical teaching and clinical placements, the duration and levels of education, and student profiles. It will also examine midwives’ professional competencies and scopes of practice. The study will further explore professional practice arrangements, drawing on epidemiological and demographic data, different employment and professional statuses, and the sociology of the profession. Attention will be paid to reproductive health policies and policies relating to women’s rights in the countries studied, in order to place national differences in the midwifery profession within their respective political, legal and social contexts. Using a comparative approach based on a review of scientific and institutional literature, available data and, where feasible, interviews with healthcare professionals and midwifery education programme leaders, this internship aims to deepen understanding of the midwifery profession across Europe and identify commonalities, national specificities and complementarities among the partner countries. The study will provide an initial foundation for strengthening educational partnerships between SEA-EU institutions, facilitating student and teaching staff mobility, and fostering future international collaborations in education and research. Depending on the duration of the internship, the research may be extended to other European Union countries.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
