- Advocacy
In early March 2026, Amma delivered a training workshop to over 100 first-year student midwives at the University of the West of Scotland.
The session was focused on improving maternity care for women from migrant backgrounds. It was made possible with support from student midwife and Amma volunteer Kurt Lee, who secured funding through the Iolanthe Trust’s Dora Opoku Award.
Shaped by lived experience
From start to finish, the workshop was co-produced with members of Amma’s Experts by Experience group — Rabbia, Alvina, Angela, Amina, and Azza — who drew on their own experiences of pregnancy and birth whilst navigating the immigration system.
The first half of the workshop followed a woman’s journey from arriving in the UK to giving birth. Using voice notes contributed by mums, practicing midwives, and companions, students heard first-hand what it means to experience pregnancy while living in hotel accommodation, facing poverty, navigating language barriers, encountering racism in healthcare settings, and more.
In the second half, students worked through role play scenarios based on real-life situations, exploring how bias and cultural insensitivity can show up in practice, and what it looks like to provide compassionate, equitable care even within a stretched system. The scenarios were facilitated by Elly and Giacinta from Citizens Theatre, with content development and evaluation supported by Amy from CAPS Advocacy.
What students took away
Throughout the workshop, students asked difficult questions, sat with uncomfortable truths, and threw themselves into exploring what good practice actually looks like.
Their feedback said it all:
“I will take away an understanding of what women are going through and that every woman is different in her needs. Always be open, respectful and listen to women’s needs. Treat ALL women with the compassionate care they deserve, no matter their background.”
“It made me feel upset about what women do currently experience and makes me determined to make a difference.”
“I will take away that even though I’m not as experienced, I can still challenge unacceptable behaviour.”
“I will always remember to use respect as a tool to support women in my care.”
These words reflect why this work matters. The student midwives in that room will go on to care for thousands of women. The more they understand the specific barriers faced by women from migrant backgrounds — and the more confident they feel to advocate for equitable care — the better the outcomes for those women and their babies.
Why this training matters
Women from asylum-seeking, refugee, and other migrant backgrounds face significant inequalities in maternity care. Language barriers, unfamiliarity with NHS systems, poverty, trauma, and experiences of racism all affect how women access and experience care, and the consequences can be serious.
Amma’s Experts by Experience live this reality. They are the most qualified people to teach the next generation of midwives what equitable care looks like in practice, and workshops like this are a vital part of changing what care looks and feels like for the women we support.
Interested in this training for your organisation?
Following the success of the UWS workshop, we are developing our external training offer to make this kind of learning available more widely. Whether you work in maternity services, healthcare education, or another setting where you encounter women from migrant backgrounds, we’d love to talk.