International Training Week on Obstetric Violence at Vall d’Hebron Institute of Research
June 13, 2025Patrizia Quattrocchi Shares IPOV Project Insights on Obstetric Violence at AIBR Conference
July 2, 2025
Universitat Rovira i Virgili to Host Midterm Meeting of the European IPOV Project on Obstetric Violence and Respectful Maternity Care
Tarragona, 25–27 June 2025
Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Campus Catalunya – Tarragona
Agenda – Programme of the event
The Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV) will host the Midterm Meeting of the European project IPOV RESPECTFUL CARE, an initiative funded by the European Union through the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Staff Exchange programme (HORIZON-MSCA).
Over three days, representatives from universities, healthcare and research institutions, and civil society organisations from across Europe and Latin America will gather to assess the progress of IPOV – Obstetric Violence: Innovative Tools for Respectful Maternity and Birth Care. The project aims to develop innovative tools and shared knowledge to help eradicate obstetric violence and foster more respectful, inclusive, and rights-based models of maternity care.
The event will feature presentations on the main work packages, training sessions, knowledge exchange activities, participatory workshops, and a dedicated session with representatives from the European Commission’s Research Executive Agency (REA), which oversees the Marie Skłodowska-Curie programme.
Notable participants include:
- Patrizia Quattrocchi, Project Coordinator (Università degli Studi di Udine, Italy)
- Maria Hidalgo Rudilla, Lead for Digital Tools and Communication (Diseño Social, Spain)
- Serena Brigidi, Training Package Coordinator (Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Spain)
- Virginie Rozée, Strategic Lead for Stakeholder Engagement (Institut National d’Études Démographiques, France)
The plenary session on 27 June will include remarks by Dr Galià Clua Marina, Vice Dean for Research at URV, and will serve to present the outcomes of the collaborative work and define the next steps for the project.
“This project offers a unique opportunity to rethink maternity care models through a respectful, women-centred perspective, connecting science, activism, and clinical practice,”
says Patrizia Quattrocchi, Coordinator of the IPOV Consortium
Venue:
Universitat Rovira i Virgili – Campus Catalunya, Room 309
Av. Catalunya, 35, 43002 Tarragona, Spain
Press and media contact:
Maria Hidalgo Rudilla
Communication Coordinator, IPOV Project
Diseño Social – En Positivo Comunicación
Email: ipov@respectfulcare.eu
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About the IPOV Project
IPOV – Obstetric Violence: Innovative Tools for Respectful Maternity and Birth Care is a four-year European research and staff exchange initiative (2024–2028), funded under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Staff Exchanges programme (HORIZON-MSCA-2022-SE, Grant Agreement No. 101130141). Coordinated by the University of Udine (Italy), the project brings together 19 partner organisations across Europe and Latin America, including universities, healthcare institutions, NGOs, and research centres.
IPOV addresses the pressing issue of obstetric violence—a form of mistreatment experienced by women during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care. This phenomenon is often embedded in systemic inequalities, medical hierarchies, and gender-based power imbalances. Despite increasing awareness, obstetric violence remains largely unrecognised and insufficiently regulated in many health systems worldwide.
The project’s objectives are to:
- Advance interdisciplinary research on obstetric violence as a global and multifaceted issue;
- Develop shared tools and methodologies to identify, understand, and prevent it;
- Promote respectful, evidence-based, and women-centred models of maternity care;
- Strengthen the dialogue between science, healthcare practice, activism, and public policy.
Activities include international staff exchanges (secondments), collaborative research, training workshops, knowledge-sharing events, and the co-design of innovative digital resources.
IPOV also contributes to the European Union’s goals on gender equality, healthcare quality, and socially responsible research and innovation. All public outputs are disseminated openly via the project’s communication channels.
