Measurements: 64cm x 88cm
 
Permission has been given by Melanie Briggs herself to create this portrait.
 
Melanie Briggs is a Wodi Wodi Dharawal Gumbayngirr Waranj and is a Traditional Birthing Rites advocate for #BirthingOnCountry.  Melanie has earned the 2022 Midwife of the year award and is a senior midwife at Waminda South Coast Aboriginal Women’s Health and Welfare Corporation.  Waminda is Aboriginal-led and community controlled.
 
“I want to see Aboriginal women birthing on their homelands, claiming their sovereign birthing rights, practicing traditional lore and continuing cultural connections to country for their baby and their families”.
 
Melanie was the first endorsed Aboriginal midwife in NSW and is currently one of only two endorsed Aboriginal midwives in Australia.
 
Melanie led a campaign to gain visiting rights at her local hospital in order to ensure women in her care were provided with a culturally safe birthing environment. Her campaign led to a statement of commitment being signed with the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District (ISLHD) – possibly the only one of its kind in Australia.