BU Research Blog

As members of the Centre for Midwifery and Women’s Health, we are passionate about sharing our knowledge to tackle societal challenges and benefit the community socially, culturally and economically. Through partnership working we have been collaborating with Dorset Women and NHS Dorset to improve health literacy among women in Dorset.

Reflecting on the Bournemouth University motto, Discere Mutari Est (“To learn is to change”), we worked with an interdisciplinary team of women, practitioners and academics in Dorset to co-create the Women’s Health Programme website.

A series of podcasts support this, covering aspects such as menopause, reproductive health and pelvic health. The podcasts feature informal discussions providing a window into the work of the team. You can find the podcasts here: https://dorsetwomen.org.uk/speaking-of-womens-health-podcast/

CMWH midwives and students have also been working with Dorset Women to facilitate education sessions for Afghan women in Dorset. Collaboration with volunteer partners, especially the support of a skilled interpreter, was vital for cultural awareness and effective communication. Women were signposted to useful websites, charities, support groups, and educational materials. Student midwives also created additional resources to address the very limited availability of existing information in Dari and Pashto.

CMWH community collaboration is at the centre of what is known as Knowledge Exchange (KE):

 the two-way exchange of knowledge, expertise, and capabilities between higher education institutions and external partners (businesses, government bodies, non-profits, and communities).