Decolonizing Birthwork:
Removing the Financial Barriers
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The Campaign
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Is Decolonizing Birthwork for me?
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As with any profession, continuing education is important to the integrity of our work as birthworkers. Birth is dynamic which means our training should be as well. Continuing education allows us to develop our skills further.
Donating to this ongoing Campaign is an opportunity for you to contribute to the continuing education of BIPOC birthworkers as we increase our knowledge base and fulfill the mission to educate, empower, and advocate for our clients. |
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Support the Campaign
FAQs
- Why does birth need to be decolonized?
- When you look at the history of birth in this country, we see colonizers working to destroy Indigenous peoples and enslaved Africans by taking their culture, language and practices which includes how they birth.
- Through unspeakable atrocities of abuse and killings of stolen enslaved people, much of their culture, language and birth practices were lost. Forcing enslaved people to be midwives and wet nurses for white families and not giving the time for them to take care of their own families caused a huge lineage of trauma impacting families to this day. In the years following slavery, Granny Midwives continued to serve families across the south until white doctors decided to take control of and monetize birth by convincing the community the Granny Midwives were dirty and unsafe. To this day, out of hospital birth is still a crime in some parts of the country.
- Indigenous Peoples (original people of the land) were also greatly impacted by colonizers coming to Turtle Island, claiming it as their own then establishing their own society. Through multiple wars, genocide was the goal of colonizers. Indigenous Peoples were kidnapped and taken to boarding schools "expressly intended to implement cultural genocide through the removal and reprogramming of American Indian and Alaska Native children to accomplish the systematic destruction of Native cultures and communities."
- These and many others have contributed to the early stages of BIPOC people not being able to practice their cultural birth practices, have safe providers and birthing locations or space to practice their sacred birth rituals.
- What is an example of the ‘decolonization of birthwork’?
- The webs entangling birthwork for BIPOC are deeply rooted and wide ranging. A major component of these webs are financial barriers which we seek to remove with your help.
- How much is the average doula training?
- It ranges between $500-$1500.
- Can I donate any time of year?
- Yes! You can come back to this page at any time to donate to help Decolonize Birth through Removing the Financial Barriers.
- Have you raised money in the past?
- Yes! In 2020, Oily Doula helped BIPOC individuals pay for doula training, doula certification fees, home birth and birth center birth fees.
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*Artwork by kenzistudioco