Every year on May 5, the world marks the International Day of the Midwife, an observance launched by the International Confederation of Midwives after the idea was first raised at a conference in the Netherlands in the late 1980s. The day celebrates the midwifery profession and recognizes midwives' essential role in supporting mothers through pregnancy, birth, and beyond. Midwives play a pivotal role in reducing maternal and newborn mortality worldwide, especially in remote areas and low-resource settings where a midwife is often the only skilled care provider available to pregnant women. Observances therefore focus heavily on advocating for greater investment in midwife training and expanding their numbers to meet growing global reproductive health needs. National midwifery associations in more than fifty countries take part, alongside international health bodies such as WHO and UNFPA, through tribute events, awareness campaigns, and initiatives supporting midwives working in conflict zones and humanitarian crises — reinforcing the message that skilled midwifery care saves lives.