May 2026 Newsletter
UNMUTED at Women’s Voices Now Film Festival
In case you missed it on our social media—
UNMUTED: Cutting Season has been selected for competition at the Women’s Voices Now Film Festival.
There’s still time to watch the episode as part of the festival. The online screening portal, featuring films from 26 countries, is open through May 20, with the awards ceremony taking place on May 13.
You can purchase your ticket at the link below.
UNMUTED and Team at Westland Impact Festival in June
UNMUTED is selected to be screened at this year’s Westland Impact Festival. The festival will take place from Jun 11th to the 13th, in the beautiful Whitefish, Montana. Charlotte and Wei on the UNMUTED team will be attending the festival in person, and we would love to meet you at the festival if you are also attending!
You can follow Westland Impact Festival on Instagram to learn more about the festival and its lineup this year.
Westland Impact Festival is organized by Project Winterland, a nonprofit based in Montana that aims to “accelerate the adoption of solutions through community engagement, creativity, innovation, science, policy, leadership and uniting people in the spirit of the greater good.” Both with an educational focus, the festival and UNMUTED will be strong partners in bringing positive impact and fostering relationships.
Click the button below to purchase your ticket to Westland Impact Festival:
You Can Still Bring UNMUTED to Yur Community!
Host a screening — virtually or in person — to inspire dialogue and action against gender-based violence.
We will provide you with all the assets you will need, including a discussion guide, social media toolkit, and more!
Fill out the short form below if you are interested. One of our team members will get back to you.
A Global Shortage with Life-or-Death Consequences
Image Description: Midwife showing mother how to change diapers of newborn baby
May 5th is International Day of the Midwife. This year’s theme, “One Million More Midwives,” highlights a critical global shortage of skilled birth workers at a time when demand for maternal care continues to grow.
A recent analysis published on the Women and Birth journal estimates a shortfall of nearly one million midwives worldwide, with the most severe gaps in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and parts of the Middle East. Midwives are one of the most effective interventions for saving lives, providing continuous care through pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum, and identifying complications like hemorrhage or preeclampsia early.
In response, countries are testing a range of solutions: expanding midwifery training programs in countries like India and Bangladesh, deploying community-based midwives to reach rural populations in parts of Ethiopia, and investing in retention efforts to reduce the outmigration of trained workers from lower-income regions. Global partnerships are also working to standardize training and elevate midwifery as a recognized profession.
Still, progress remains uneven. In many underserved and conflict-affected areas, health systems struggle to scale these efforts fast enough, leaving millions of women without access to skilled care during pregnancy and childbirth.
SUPPORT US BY DONATING TO OUR IMPACT CAMPAIGN
We’re continuing to take UNMUTED on the road in 2026, hosting screenings, panels, and policy workshops with our impact partners to shine a light on the harmful practices affecting women and girls featured in the series. With your support, we can get one step closer to ending child marriage, stopping FGM/C, and preventing acid violence — by changing laws and minds.
