Should more men train to be midwives?

Midwife or mid-husband?

That’s a common question on social media posts highlighting the work of the very few men who help women to deliver babies.

Midwifery is a profession that has traditionally been dominated by women.

Less than 1% of people registered as midwives globally are men.

According to research conducted by the University of Northampton in the UK, 19 countries have no men registered as midwives and five countries legally prohibit men from being midwives.

In today’s Africa Daily podcast, Alan Kasujja speaks to 63-year-old Robert Aule, a man who has helped to deliver more than 500 babies over the last four decades in one of the most remote regions in Kenya. Could the recruitment of men help to deal with the shortage of midwives?