Jill Moloney

I completed my registered nurse training in Warrnambool, Victoria, in January 1987. After this I worked primarily in urban and rural/remote Indigenous communities of NT and Qld. I did this until I started my training to be a midwife in Sydney (1991-1992). Once I qualified I returned to work as a midwife in rural and remote Australian communities. I became interested in health promotion and public health and worked in the Central Public Health Unit, Queensland, 1997 – 2000.

However, I missed midwifery and returned to the fold in 2000, again in the Northern Territory. At the same time the position of Midwife Adviser came up in Cambodia and my application was accepted. I decided that an active birthing focus would be the most useful and sustainable approach to birthing in Cambodia. The midwives and TBAs (Traditional Birth Attendants) I worked with embraced the philosophy. I decided that I wanted to continue this type of work and completed master of international public health at Sydney University in 2002. While searching for an appropriate job I did some short-term contracts in Australia and we came to DPRK in April 2004 (I didn’t have a job lined up, but Chris’s contract was an accompanied position and so I took the chance and came along).