Fijian WLI alumni Alomeci Medamaiciba and Vasenai Sakalai have grown their trans-Pacific nursing-midwifery network to exchange knowledge and best practices after attending an international conference on reproductive health.
As alumni of the Women’s Developmental Leadership Program, Alomeci and Vasenai were supported to attend the 15th Biennial Pacific Society for Reproductive Health (PSRH) conference, held in Auckland, New Zealand in March 2024.
Now home in Fiji, the midwives have come away from the conference with increased confidence to lead, and newfound skills and knowledge gained while interacting with practitioners from the Pacific who share their mission to enhance maternal and newborn health.
Through the delivery of a series of sessions and workshops over three days, the conference’s main objective was to advocate for the improvement of maternal and child health across the Pacific region by promoting and seeking educational opportunities for attendees.
According to Master of Midwifery (Charles Darwin University) alumna Alomeci, the conference was “filled with presentations on topics ranging from domestic violence, midwifery leadership across the Pacific, and interlinkages between sexual reproductive health and climate change”.
Sessions addressed sexual and reproductive health and rights in Pacific emergencies, gender-based violence in the workplace, and contraceptive updates, among other topics.
Both Vasenai and Alomeci were drawn to attend a two-day pre-conference workshop on auditing and research, which enhanced the women’s knowledge and understanding of “the application of research in everyday midwifery practice”.
“It was an excellent opportunity to meet and network with other practitioners from the Pacific, and share insights on the effects and impacts of climate change on Pacific people's health,” Alomeci explains.
As an aspiring midwifery researcher, Master of Midwifery Studies (The University of Newcastle) alumna Vasanai saw the workshop as an opportunity to “network with experts who are already doing research in the Pacific, and hopefully, collaborate on midwifery research in Fiji”.
Vasenai also learned about the latest practices to support her work providing holistic care to women and their babies.
“The workshop also gave me an opportunity to develop my research skills and knowledge, [as] I hope to collaborate with my Pacific networks to find innovative solutions to improve health outcomes,” Vasenai adds.
Vasenai explains, “Attending the conference was a transformative experience for me, as it offered opportunities for personal and professional growth [and] allowed me to step back from my daily routine and reflect on my practices, values and goal.”
She was able to engage with other participants through the sharing of new ideas, research, and perspectives, which enabled Vasanai to gain a deeper understanding of strengths, areas that need improvement, and how her own personal values contribute to her understandings of sexual and reproductive health.
“Connecting with like-minded individuals and learning from inspirational speakers reaffirmed my purpose and commitment to providing quality care to women and their children,” Vasenai adds.
For Alomeci, attending the conference provided an opportunity to come out of her “comfort zone” and gain a deeper understanding of the challenges in managing HIV and STIs, screening for domestic violence in antenatal women, and strengthening health sector responses to sexual and gender-based violence across the Pacific.
Alomeci explains, “I overcame my fears and self-doubt about what others may think of me and could easily network and connect with midwives of other Pacific Island countries.”
“The lessons learnt from the Women's Developmental Leadership Program and LeadershipConnect have impacted my ability to think positively and prepared me well to communicate with others.”
