Karline Wilson-Mitchell

Karline Wilson-Mitchell is passionate about reproductive justice that informs midwifery education, practice and global partnerships. Since 1992, Karline’s clinical work grew from the U.S. (urban and rural) to Canada (Ontario, remote Quebec) and then to midwifery education and leadership building in the Global South (Jamaica, Tanzania, Zambia, Burundi, South Sudan). Her scholarship explores the skills and infrastructure necessary to diversify the midwifery workforce, and explores strategies that facilitate equitable and inclusive work environments for midwives and vulnerable populations. Her goal is to promote resilience and sagacity in vulnerable midwifery students. To this end the MEP mentorship program was launched in December 2017, in partnership with the Black, Indigenous and People of Colour Student Collective. It is an evidence-informed program to improve MEP career trajectories and the quality of academic life.

“The opportunity for intellectual partnerships with students excites me!”, remarks Karline. These are students motivated by curiosity to interrogate the intersections of midwifery, community service, ancestral healing traditions, spiritual wholeness and wellness, and respectful leadership. The seeds of the Canadian Midwives of Colour History Project were germinated by midwifery students of colour.

Karline’s research projects have included partnerships with the University of West Indies School of Nursing, Mona, Kingston, Jamaica; IMPAKT Hospital for Sick Children and Toronto Metropolitan University Faculty of Community Services; Toronto Metropolitan Centre for Immigration and Settlement [Immigration Trajectories of Immigrant Families Project (ITIF)]; Rights for Children and Youth Partnership: Strengthening Collaboration in the Americas (RCYP) and MITAC multidisciplinary project (training student interns to explore Humanized Birth and Obstetrical Violence in Brazil) partnership with Universidade Federal Fluminense, Brazil; She has worked for CAM Global as a consultant and volunteer developing Tanzanian Respectful Maternity Care and South Sudanese Leadership SMS2 workshops for nurses and midwives. She serves as an editorial reviewer for several high impact, professional journals.