UC EVENTS

To celebrate National Reconciliation Week, the UC Discipline of Midwifery invites you to spend an evening with Karel Williams presenting Birthing on Country…the best start to life. 

Karel is an Aboriginal midwife based in Canberra with family connections to the Palawa and Western Arrernte Nations. Prior to becoming a midwife, Karel had a long career in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander policy and program areas in the Australian Public Service, including one year on an executive exchange program working in the then Department of Indian and Northern Affairs in Canada.

Karel completed her Bachelor of Midwifery at UC in 2014 and at her graduation ceremony was the inaugural recipient of the Tom Calma Medal. Karel has researched and published on racism as a determinant of health and is currently undertaking a higher degree by research at UC. Karel is an active member of the Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives (CATSINaM) and was its representative on the working group that recently revised the Code of Conduct for Midwives, where she successfully advocated for the inclusion of cultural safety. Karel currently represents CATSINaM on the National Birthing on Country Strategic Committee.

Karel will present on Birthing on Country and Cultural Safety, and how these promote the best start in life and contribute to closing the gap in health outcomes.