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CUBA
May Yudith Serrano Mulet, Universidad de Oriente, Santiago de Cuba
The following text presents an analysis of obstetric violence within healthcare institutions in the municipality of Contramaestre, Santiago de Cuba. This case study employs an ethnographic approach, drawing on documented testimonies from women and other individuals involved, interviewed by the author during the course of her research. These testimonies provide valuable insights into the conditions that enable the occurrence of obstetric violence in this context. The central hypothesis argues that obstetric violence arises within the medical sphere—shaped by the principles of the hegemonic medical model—due to the interplay of several forms of structural violence. Symbolic violence, often unnoticed due to its perceived “natural” inevitability, reinforces existing power imbalances. Gender-based violence is deliberately exercised to maintain these asymmetries, while cultural violence manifests in the attitudes and behaviours of individuals and social groups who, whether consciously or unconsciously, perpetuate patriarchal norms. Together, these forms of violence contribute to the persistence of obstetric mistreatment within healthcare settings.