Midwives take on political leadership: Spotlight on Clare Hacksel, federal MP candidate in Toronto-Danforth

From midwife to political leader

Clare Hacksel, federal Member of Parliament (MP) candidate in Toronto-Danforth, began her political journey as a midwife practicing in Toronto’s East End. While supporting her clients, Clare increasingly saw gaps in social supports- food insecurity, precarious housing, and cracks in the health care system for the most vulnerable populations. Driven to help her community and fueled by the legacy of midwifery activism that established the regulation of the profession in Ontario, Clare was nominated to represent Canada’s New Democratic Party in Toronto-Danforth in 2021, and again in 2023. Throughout her political work, Clare has been building community relationships, establishing partnerships and support, and working to understand the issues facing her community. Engagement has intensified following the recent call for a federal election that will send Canadians to the polls on April 28, 2025. 

Midwifery lens helped to shape Clare’s political work

Clare asserts that the foundational skills and strengths fueling her political work came directly from midwifery. Skills like team building, collaboration, conflict management, negotiation, navigating competing priorities, valuing evidence and data driven decision-making, persisting in the face of adversity, deep listening, relational interacting, and excellent communication transferred seamlessly.

Clare believes midwives are particularly well-suited to be MPs because of their ability to meet people where they're at, listen to their experiences, and understand their worldview, challenges and hopes. “Then [midwives] say, how can I help you facilitate that?” Clare shares.  “How can I be with you on this journey, so that you have the best possible outcome? A good politician will do that too. They ask, what can I do to improve the material conditions of your lives, so that you can have the best possible outcome?” Clare adds, “Oh, and curiosity, too. Midwives are endlessly curious about other people’s lives and struggles.”

Midwives serving in public office offers a new lens and opportunity to draw connections to broad policy frameworks and their impacts on health, preventative care, and population wellness. Clare is determined to make an impact on sexual and reproductive health care by holding funders to account on federal reproductive health grants that support abortion and contraception care education and access. Another key priority is to honour the responsibility of reconciliation through interprofessional Indigenous-led sovereign local health care delivery, including by First Nations, Inuit and Métis midwives. Bringing midwifery priorities to decision-making tables drives midwives’ inclusion and expands midwifery influence to drive systems change.

Lessons learned from midwifery political engagement

Clare shared lessons learned from her own journey for midwives considering running for office. She emphasized that the biggest resource required was the full support of her midwifery practice group, who deeply understand and value the positive impact of having a midwife in Parliament. Clare’s colleagues understand not only the challenges and demands of clinical work, but also the barriers that exclude gendered candidates and caregivers from political life. 

While shifting into civil representation might not be possible for all midwives, Clare emphasized there is no political engagement that is too small. There are many ways to “do” politics: tell your story, engage your community members, join a committee at the AOM, reach out to your own elected officials. Clare believes midwives are uniquely positioned in the healthcare system to “dig down deep and make some important changes. We need more [midwives]… everywhere!”

Midwives are stronger, together

While the midwifery profession is relatively small, collectively we are mighty. Advocacy, social justice, and equity are woven into the very fabric of midwifery work. Midwives are shaped by an education program and clinical practice that emphasize understanding of the social determinants of health, promote excellence in care, and centre client decision-making and autonomy. Midwives’ political engagement offers exciting possibilities, where there is interconnectedness of the social drivers of health and well-being with the political will required to influence and improve our communities.

The AOM wishes Clare the best of luck in her campaign. Midwives seeking support in political engagement should contact devi.krieger@aom.on.ca, Policy Analyst, Government, Labour & Public Relations.