What minimum amount of postsecondary education did the International Confederation of Midwives set for trained midwives in 2010?

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Midwives assisting a birth while astrologers consult sky charts; woodcut relief print from Jakob Rueff's De conceptu et generatione hominis (1554; The Expert Midwife). — midwifery Midwives assisting a birth while astrologers consult sky charts; woodcut relief print from Jakob Rueff's *De conceptu et generatione hominis* (1554; *The Expert Midwife*).

In its 2010 Global Standards for Midwifery Education, the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) established a minimum of three years of postsecondary education for practice as a trained midwife.1

This standard is part of the broader efforts by organizations like the World Health Organization to ensure that women have access to skilled birth attendants, which is essential for improving maternal health and reducing infant mortality. While midwifery standards vary globally, the ICM works to maintain consistent educational and practice requirements for formal midwifery training, distinguishing it from the informal, apprentice-based model used by lay midwives.1