IPOV-RESPECTFUL CARE to Hold its First Virtual Meeting to Advance Understanding and Prevention of Obstetric Violence

On 23 October 2024, we will hold the First Virtual Meeting of the IPOV-RESPECTFUL CARE Consortium, organised by the University of Udine. This event will bring together 19 institutions from six European and three Latin American countries, all collaborating in a joint effort to study and prevent obstetric violence, as well as the over-medicalisation of childbirth – a public health issue recognised by the WHO.

During this meeting, we will review the progress made in our first ten months of work, focusing on research and training regarding obstetric violence, a form of gender-based violence affecting women worldwide. At IPOV-RESPECTFUL CARE, we highlight the need to address the systemic and structural factors that perpetuate this issue, which calls for a transformative approach to maternal healthcare.

Our project aims to build bridges between academic research and public policy through an innovative digital platform designed to share knowledge and best practices in respectful maternal care. This platform, with an interdisciplinary, cross-sectoral, and culturally inclusive approach, will be aimed at health professionals, trainers, policymakers, researchers, and civil society. Through it, we will offer training programmes that promote respectful, dignity-centred childbirth practices for women.

The interest shown by international bodies such as the United Nations, the Council of Europe, and the European Parliament underscores the significance of this initiative, which invites reflection on the social, political, and medical aspects of obstetric violence. Thanks to this strategic alliance among the scientific community, health professionals, policymakers, women, and civil society, IPOV-RESPECTFUL CARE is dedicated to reimagining the fundamental act of childbirth, ensuring it is carried out with respect and dignity.

This project embodies the values and objectives of the European Union’s Horizon MSCA-Staff Exchange programme, which promotes interdisciplinary and multinational collaboration to address global public health challenges. The international platform we are developing represents a significant step forward in the prevention of obstetric violence and the strengthening of women’s rights in maternal health.

At this meeting, 40 renowned experts will gather, representing various universities, research institutes, and organisations focused on health and human rights:

• Università degli Studi di Udine
  • Patrizia Quattrocchi: Professor of Medical and Cultural Anthropology
  • Anna Zilli: Senior Lecturer at University of Udine and Università degli Studi di Padova
  • Valeria Filì: Professor of Labour and Social Security Law
  • Antonina Dattolo: Director of the SASWEB Research Laboratory
• Diseño Social EN+
  • María Hidalgo Rudilla: External Digital Consultant and CEO of Diseño Social EN+ and Mibiotico.com
  • Valeria Hiraldo: Dietitian PNI and Scientific Communicator, specialising in maternity and the first 1,000 days
• Universidad Rovira i Virgili
  • Serena Brigidi: Researcher in Social Anthropology
• Institut national d’études démographiques (INED)
  • Virginie Rozee: Researcher in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights
  • Lucile Faivre-Pierret: PhD Candidate in Sociology
  • Thomas Wiest: Head of European and International Projects
• Universidad de Granada
  • Ester Massó: Professor of Moral Philosophy
• Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE)
  • Dulce M. Neves: Coordinator of the ABRIL MATER Project
  • Mário JDS Santos: Associate Researcher
  • Catarina Barata: Researcher in Videography and Scientific Translation
• Durham University
  • Camilla Pickles: Associate Professor in Biolaw at the Durham Law School
• University of South-Eastern Norway
  • Mirjam Lukasse: Professor in Health Sciences and Nursing
  • Enid Leren Myhre: Lecturer in the Department of Nursing and Health Sciences
• Universidad Complutense de Madrid
  • Stella Villaermea: Professor of Philosophy
• Observatorio de la Violencia Obstétrica
  • Ana Polo: OVO Representative
• Vall Hebron Institut de Recerca
  • Itziar Garcia Ruiz: Senior Researcher in Maternal and Fetal Medicine
  • Vanessa Bueno: Researcher in Maternal and Fetal Medicine
• UTERUS
  • Isabel Ferreira: Specialist Nurse in Maternal and Obstetric Health
  • Diana Lopes: Physiotherapist in Women’s and Pelvic Health
• Hospital Materno-Infantil de San Isidro, Argentina
  • Silvina García Conto: Advisor on Birth and Delivery Rights
  • Ivana C. Iriarte: Lactation Consultant and Doula
  • Laura Abojer: Head of Obstetrics
  • Jimena Amparo: Lactation Consultant and Therapeutic Accompanist
  • Nury Sandra Benavides: Obstetrician
  • Guillermo Javier De Cicco: Obstetrician and Researcher
• Universidad de Costa Rica
  • Gabriela Arguedas: Bioethicist and Activist in Philosophy and Gender Studies
• Universidad Nacional de Entre Ríos, Argentina
  • María Fernanda González: Researcher in Perinatal Mental Health and Obstetric Violence
  • Ema Cristina Schuler Benkendorf: Researcher in Education and Sexual Health
  • Ana Laura García Presas: Chair of Anthropology
• Asociación Civil Argentina de Puericultura
  • Julieta Saulo: Director of Puericulture Services
• Universidad de la República, Uruguay
  • Natalia Magnone: Research Lecturer in Gender Perspective
  • Carolina Farías: Adjunct Professor in Reproductive Health
  • Valentina Brena: Researcher in Breastfeeding and Kinship

This multidisciplinary team is committed to transforming obstetric care through research, training, and policies that guarantee respectful maternal care focused on women’s dignity and rights. The meeting will serve as an opportunity to share the progress made and to plan future actions that promote a shift in addressing obstetric violence.