"Midwives on the verge of extinction", "Killing midwives", "Midwives bleed - Stop the bleeding" or "There's not just the perineum that cracks" ... of the demonstration of midwives this Thursday in Paris, their signs say a lot about their fed up.

Considering themselves "forgotten" and "despised", they were some 3,500 according to the police to pound the pavement.

“We come to express our suffering before the profession disappears” for lack of attractiveness, explains Marie Coudene Medico, liberal midwife in Montpellier.

“The working conditions are deteriorating.

The job is no longer a dream.

Midwives are resigning, ”says Caroline Cutuil, liberal midwife in Grenoble.

"Starting at 1,600 euros ... It's just no longer possible"

At the call of several unions (ONSSF, UNSSF, ANESF, CGT, CFDT, CFTC ...), the demonstrators gathered in Montparnasse to win the Ministry of Health to the sounds of speculums which slam and the slogan "Wise- angry women ”chanted in chorus. "In view of the technical nature of the studies we do, the skills and responsibilities that we have, it is clear that starting at 1,600 euros ... It's just more possible", had detailed, before the mobilization, Anick Rabaud, wise -woman of maternal and child protection (PMI) in the south of France.

The profession (97% of women) was disappointed by the latest upgrades announced by the government, which for its part put forward an increase of 360 euros net per month for hospital midwives (three quarters of the workforce), if we take into account the increases linked to the health segur.

A national strike movement was launched on September 24.

Thursday was the 6th day of mobilization since the start of the year.

"We become machines"

The workforce and working conditions are at the heart of the demands. “In the Parisian maternity hospitals, it is catastrophic, with sometimes up to 20 vacant positions. We become machines, ”denounces Aurélie De La Calle, a hospital midwife at Port Royal. “This situation is dangerous for midwives but also for women in general,” continues Caroline Cutuil. "To protect women, protect midwives", "State sexism: if men gave birth, the problem would be solved" could be read on the signs.

Justine Schoeffel, hospital midwife and member of the ONSSF board of directors, insists on "the need for a real medical status in the public service" for midwives.

“A formidable profession, a very shabby status”, “On the verge of a rupture”, “On all fronts for nothing” floated above the procession.

"Lack of recognition and contempt" of public authorities

Often exclusively associated with pregnancy, midwives have seen their skills expand over time.

They can provide preventive gynecology consultations with healthy women or prescribe and perform medical abortions.

Yet "every day", in her office, Charlotte Baudet-Benzitoun, midwife sonographer in the Occitanie region, said to hear: "I did not know that you could do smears", "I did not know that you could do the smear. gynecological follow-up "," and the gynecologist, when do I see him?

"

This "lack of information, attributable to public authorities" reflects, for her and the ONSSF of which she is Deputy Secretary General, "the lack of recognition and contempt" they feel for the profession and for those who practice it.

"7 out of 10 students had depressive symptoms"

The students had also come in large numbers.

"We are asking for a 6th year of study to be able to spread out our courses and our internships and deepen our knowledge", explains Emie Jourdain of the National Association of Midwifery Students (ANESF), arguing that "7 students out of 10 had symptoms depressive ”because of the heaviness of the training.

On twitter, doctors gave their support to the mobilization: "The obstetrician gynecologists of Trousseau support the midwives".

Same message sent from the University Hospital of Lille, the maternity hospital of Bourges, Port-Royal ... In the Parisian procession had taken place the mayor of the capital Anne Hidalgo (PS), the former candidate for the primary environmentalist Delphine Batho or even Paris adviser Danielle Simonnet (LFI).

The office of Minister of Health Olivier Véran was to receive Thursday each of the unions and professional organizations of midwives "having wished", he said.

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