Respectful Maternity Care Conference
Brisbane
6-7 March, 2026

Inaugural Respectful Maternity Care Conference

We are excited to announce the Respectful Maternity Care Conference, to be held on 6-7 March 2026 in Brisbane, Australia.

This exciting event is an Australian first, and we look forward to welcoming maternity staff, researchers and consumers from across the country.

Abstracts have now closed and we will announce the full program soon. If you would like a trade table, here is our price list and inclusions.

Venue: Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital Education Centre

Conference Themes:

Day 1: First Nations/Migrant/CALD Communities and Racism in Maternity Care

Culturally Competent Care Practices: How organisations have adapted their protocols and practices to better serve First Nations, migrant and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities within maternity services.
Improving outcomes for First Nations and Migrant women and families: Research, case studies, posters or workshops demonstrating effective strategies for combating racism and discrimination in healthcare.

Day 2: Broadening the Scope of Respectful Maternity Care

Informed Consent and RMC: Exploration of policies, education, or advocacy efforts aimed at eliminating obstetric violence and enhancing informed consent practices.
Understanding and Preventing Birth Trauma: Insights into the causes of birth trauma with a focus on preventative measures and therapeutic responses.
Program Implementation for Broader Impact: How organizations have successfully implemented policies or programs addressing day 2 topics, including lessons learned and measurable improvements to respectful maternity care.

RMC Flyer March 2026 (Facebook Cover).png

2 days of workshops and presentations

Presenter topics:

Dr Karen Joash: The Science of Equity: Culturally Competent Care and Anti-Racism Innovations in Maternity Health
Shadow Toke: Trauma-informed and culturally safe maternity care from the perspectives of those providing and receiving maternity care
Workshop Carly Anderson: Mindful Florals for Clinicians: A Reflective Lunchtime Workshop
Martha Isela Vázquez Corona: Migrant mums & maternity care: A qualitative participatory health research study
Prof Nayana Parange: Reducing perinatal mortality and morbidity through Point-of-Care Ultrasound using culturally responsive approaches for respectful maternity care in rural areas
Workshop Kelli Zakharoff: Understanding and Preventing Birth Trauma: Insights into the causes of birth trauma with a focus on preventative measures and therapeutic responses
Workshop Rebecca Black & Jane Brincat : Matrescence Informed Care: Bridging Interdisciplinary Models to Provide Women-Centred Maternity Care and Improve Health Outcomes
Sharon Stoliar & Prof Julie Jomeen - Midwives birth experience and MH (PND/PTSD)
Dr Paige Donaghay: Revisiting Respectful Care: The Historical Origins of Obstetric Violence in Britain and Australia
Lucy Frankham: Helping Mental Health Professionals to Reframe Birth Trauma Prevention and Intervention using the Integrated Theory of Birth Trauma
Carla Anderson: Integrating psychological skills into perinatal healthcare for medical perinatal clinicians
Bridget Roache: Respectful Breastfeeding Support: Advancing Human Rights through Shared Decision-Making, Rights-Based and Trauma-Informed Care
Dr Kirsten Small: Unconsented CTG use in labour: What is the problem and what do we do now?
Hannah Pickford, Elizabeth Walker & Shari Lyon: Words, Tone and Body Language: the missing link in respectful and empowered perinatal care
Helen Rogers: Advancing Equitable Perinatal Care - an evaluation of the Cross Cultural Worker Service in Sydney
Jane Brincat/Hollie Swanton/Fiona Ellory/Rachel Howe: Occupational therapists can do that? Collaborating to improve respectful maternity care
Stephen Kennedy: Dad’s role in Respectful Maternity Care
Kelly Haynes: Navigating maternity care: A systematic review of barriers and enablers for migrant and refugee women
Elysse Prussing and Alecia Staines: Nothing about us without us- maternity consumers voice in research
Workshop Wendy Fry & Dr Stephen Tucker- Cultural Change for Respectful Maternity Care
Nisha Khot- Informed Birth
Liz Wilkes and Melina Connors- Implementing RMC for First Nations women and at statewide level
Dr Elizabeth Martin: Implementing patient-reported outcome and experience measures in maternity services
Christine Marie Doolan & Yordanka Berg Blanc: Ampe-kenhe Ahelhe (Children’s Ground) Maternal Child Health team model. A 25-year approach