_ WHO WE ARE
Meet IPOV, an international network for respectful maternity care
Explore our project and join a global community for change
International partnership made up of 19 institutions from 6 European countries and 3 Latin American countries.
The relevance of the IPOV-RESPECTFUL CARE project, which invites reflection on the systemic and structural dimensions of obstetric violence, is also reflected in the growing interest in the topic shown by European and international institutions (UN 2019, Council of Europe 2019, European Parliament 2021).
The aim is to contribute to the social, political and medical debates on this issue, considered by the WHO as a major public health problem, and to build an alliance between the scientific community, health professionals, policy makers, women and civil society in order to rethink the modalities of a fundamental act par excellence: how we come into the world.
The project is funded by the European Union under the HORIZON-MSCA-2022-Staff Exchange programme (grant agreement no. 101130141). It began on 1 January 2024 and will run for four years.
This initiative involves a broad international consortium, coordinated by the University of Udine, comprising 19 institutions from six European and three Latin American countries.
A team of experts—including researchers, professors, health professionals, and civil society representatives—will focus on several key areas:
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Designing and implementing an international, interdisciplinary digital platform that bridges academic research and public policy. This platform will prioritise the perspectives and needs of women, health professionals, and civil society. (led by Diseño Social, Spain)
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Regularly updating the platform with research and data gathered through exchange and mobility activities across consortium institutions. (led by Uniud, Italy)
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Developing an innovative training programme for health professionals—particularly gynaecologists and obstetricians—rooted in an intersectional, gender-sensitive, and human rights-based approach. This programme, a cornerstone of the project, will be piloted at Vall d'Hebron Hospital in Barcelona. The insights gained will inform the creation of remote-accessible materials through the platform. (led by URV, Spain)
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Identifying strategies to unite various stakeholders—from social movements to national and supranational bodies—offering them a permanent advisory tool. This tool will comprise a network of experts responsible for organising a Consensus Conference on obstetric violence, to be held in France, bringing together leading European and international voices. (led by INED, France)
The project also includes a comprehensive set of research, training, dissemination, and communication activities aimed at both the scientific community and the broader public. These efforts will encompass the development of educational materials and awareness campaigns targeting women and couples, alongside seminars, workshops, and the production of scientific publications and multimedia content.
A team of 40 experts, including researchers, professors, health professionals and members of civil society organisations, will work to achieve four scientific objectives
The project partners are spread across Europe and Latin America.
In Spain, the participating institutions are the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (Tarragona), the Universidad de Granada, the Universidad Complutense (Madrid), the Fundación Hospital Universitario Vall d’Hebron – Instituto de Investigación (Barcelona), En Positivo Comunicación y Diseño Social for NGOs (Málaga), and the Observatorio de Violencia Obstétrica (Madrid). From France, the project involves the Institut National d’Études Démographiques (Aubervilliers Cedex), while Norway is represented by the Universitetet i Søraust-Noreg (Porsgrunn). In the United Kingdom, the University of Durham takes part, and in Portugal, the Instituto Universitário (Lisbon) and Gimnográvida – Preparação Para Parto e Maternidade (Porto) are involved. The Italian partners include the University of Udine, the Istituto di Cura a Carattere Scientifico e Ospedale Materno Infantile Burlo Garofolo – WHO Collaborating Centre for Maternal and Childbirth Health (Trieste), and the Scuola Elementare di Arte Ostetrica (Florence).
In Latin America, the project collaborates with the Universidad Nacional de Entre Ríos (Concepción del Uruguay), the Municipalidad de San Isidro – Hospital Materno-Infantil de San Isidro, and the Asociación Civil Argentina de Puericultura (both in Buenos Aires) in Argentina; the Universidad de Costa Rica (San José) in Costa Rica; and the Universidad de La República (Montevideo) in Uruguay.
Breakthrough Experts
Organisations
19
European countries
6
Latin American countries
3
Antonina Dattolo
University of Udine
Professoressa Associata in informatica. Direttrice del laboratorio di ricerca. SASWEB (Semantic Adaptive Social Web).
Stella Villarmea
Dulce M. Neves
Researcher at CIES-Iscte and coordinator of the ABRIL MATER project and the Social Studies on Birth Laboratory.
Catarina Barata
ISCTE - Instituto Universitário de Lisboa
Maternal and Fetal Medicine | Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR)
Valentina Brena
Universidad de la República | Uruguay
PhD Thesis: Implications of Breastfeeding in Family Configurations: An Ethnography on Breastfeeding and Kinship in the Afro-Uruguayan Community.
_ DISCOVER MORE ABOUT OUR PROJECT
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For more information and to be part of our international network
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Kindly consider following one another and participating in discussions using the designated hashtag #ipovrespectfulcare
Share your insights and experiences to contribute to the collective dialogue.
