Foundations for Building an Inclusive and Equitable Community
AWHONN is dedicated to integrating cultural competence and diversity into all aspects of our work and the communities we serve. To accomplish this requires active, intentional, and ongoing efforts to promote the full participation and sense of belonging of every employee, member, and strategic partner. It involves policies and practices, but also the ability to envision and enact new ways of leading. We are examining our history and drawing lines around who we are and, more importantly, who we aspire to be. During the month of June, we will be sharing where we are in this journey, so far.
Transparency in Our Work
Transparency in how we plan to move forward is critical in creating an environment where all feel welcomed and valued. To start, we commit to always be genuine in our words and actions.
We know there is much work to be done. We have long-term, strategic plans in place to build an inclusive and equitable organization and want to thank you in advance for your fortitude, your participation, and your support. You can read more about AWHONN’s DE&I strategic goals here. We feel it’s important to admit our deficiencies and to address how we plan to overcome them.
We recognize…
- that we have been challenged in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion, in terms of our leadership, policies, and recruitment efforts.
- that our education and resources have not always included the broad information necessary to fully equip our women’s health champions with a complete picture of how to provide proper care for all.
- our community is not a reflection of the strong, vibrant community we seek to be.
We Aspire to…
- build an organizational infrastructure that allows for many opportunities for people of diverse backgrounds to bring their experiences, expertise, and perspectives to the table, helping us to create actionable plans to integrate marginalized groups into our association.
- be more resilient, forward thinking, and nimble in addressing issues, in real-time, and providing the information and resources required for healthcare professionals to make decisions and address patient needs and creating ongoing educational processes to build DE&I competencies.
- establish a culture where a global perspective is considered in all we do, our words and images reflect our community, and the experiences of others define our role as an organization.
AWHONN Resources
LGBTQ Resources
Dismantling Racism
Saving Moms and Babies
Watch the recordings of the AWHONN Summit that explores the reasons why Black mothers continue to die in the first-year post-birth at 3-4 times the rate of all other mothers. This leaves a newborn without a mother, and a family without their cornerstone, compass, and anchor. The COVID-19 pandemic has made these longstanding inequities in health and healthcare more visible.
Equitable care thought leaders and AWHONN nurses describe specific strategies, actions such as allyship and interventions nurses can use to reduce these deadly disparities, including “holding space” for women, “listening” to women and “trusting women” when they say “something’s not right . . .”
Through these videos, you’ll:
AWHONN thanks its partner Johnson’s for sponsoring this full-day event in October 2020.
