“Philosophy of Birth” Seminar to Bring International Researchers to Madrid to Address Obstetric Violence, Reparation and Perinatal Mental Health

The event is part of María Fernanda González’s secondment stay in Madrid and will feature the participation of IPOV – Respectful Care members Stella Villarmea and Patrizia Quattrocchi.

Complutense University of Madrid to Host International Seminar on Philosophy of Birth, Obstetric Violence and State of Exception

The seminar “Philosophy of Birth: Obstetric Violence and State of Exception” will bring together international researchers in Madrid to address birth, obstetric violence, perinatal mental health and reproductive justice

Organised by Stella Villarmea and the FILNAC / PHILBIRTH team, the event will take place on 12 June 2026 at the Faculty of Philosophy of the Complutense University of Madrid, in hybrid format. The seminar is part of the activities carried out in Madrid during the secondment stay of María Fernanda González, from the National University of Entre Ríos, a member of the European project IPOV – Respectful Care.

Madrid, 12 June 2026. The Faculty of Philosophy of the Complutense University of Madrid will host the international seminar “Philosophy of Birth: Obstetric Violence and State of Exception”, an academic event devoted to analysing birth from the perspectives of philosophy, ethics, political theory, feminist studies, public health, perinatal mental health and reproductive rights.

The seminar will take place on 12 June 2026, in Seminar Room 338 of the Faculty of Philosophy of the Complutense University of Madrid, with a hybrid format: in person and online. The general poster announces the schedule from 9:30 to 13:30 and from 15:00 to 18:00, while the detailed programme includes sessions from 9:30 to 19:00. Online access is available through the QR code included in the poster, linked to: https://qrco.de/bgp9lI.

The seminar is organised by Stella Villarmea and the FILNAC / PHILBIRTH team, in collaboration with the Department of Logic and Theoretical Philosophy of the Complutense University of Madrid, the Philosophy of Birth Network at the University of Oxford, the Institute for Feminist Research at the UCM, the Complutense University of Madrid and the European project IPOV – Respectful Care, International Platform on Obstetric Violence.

One of the main focuses of the event will be the participation of María Fernanda González, from the National University of Entre Ríos, a researcher specialised in perinatal mental health, gender, activism and obstetric violence. Her presentation, entitled “Narrating Obstetric Violence: Notes on Activisms, Reparation and Therapeutic Devices in Perinatal Mental Health”, will take place from 17:00 to 17:30.

González’s contribution is part of her secondment stay in Madrid within the framework of the IPOV – Respectful Care project. This stay contributes to academic and intersectoral exchange between universities, research networks and organisations committed to preventing obstetric violence and promoting respectful maternity care. Her presentation will address the narration of obstetric violence as a means of recognition, reparation and support, with particular attention to activisms and therapeutic devices in perinatal mental health.

The seminar will also feature the participation of Patrizia Quattrocchi, from the University of Udine and a member of the IPOV – Respectful Care project, who will present “IPOV – International Platform on Obstetric Violence: Co-developing Ideas to Advance the Platform for Scholarly Research”, from 16:00 to 16:30. Her contribution will frame IPOV as an international platform for academic research, collaborative knowledge development and interdisciplinary dialogue on obstetric violence.

Stella Villarmea, from the Complutense University of Madrid, will play a central role as both organiser and speaker. At 9:45, she will open the theoretical section with the presentation “Philosophy of Birth: Obstetric Violence and State of Exception”, and at 18:30 she will close the event with a session devoted to future activities / next steps.

The programme is structured around two main sections: “Philosophy of Birth: Theoretical Approaches” and “Philosophy of Birth: Initiatives and Practical Perspectives”.

During the morning, the theoretical section will begin at 9:30 with welcome remarks and get together. From 9:45 to 10:00, Stella Villarmea will present “Philosophy of Birth: Obstetric Violence and State of Exception”. From 10:00 to 10:30, Rebeca Granero will speak on “Reproductive State of Exception: An Agambenian Reading of Criminalization of Pregnancy”. From 10:30 to 11:00, Sara Cohen Shabot will present “Obedience to Authority and Moral Conflict: Rethinking Obstetric Violence through Milgram’s Experiment”. From 11:00 to 11:30, Barbara Gabriella Renzi will address “Giving Birth in a State of Exception: Obstetric Violence, Embodied Vulnerability, and the Migrant Woman’s Experience”.

After a break from 11:30 to 12:00, the programme will continue from 12:00 to 12:30 with Orli Dahan and the presentation “When Birth Requires Self-protection: Self-care and Tactical Agency in Institutional Childbirth”. From 12:30 to 13:00, Rodante van der Waal will present “Birth Justice: From Obstetric Violence to Abolitionist Care”. From 13:00 to 13:30, Anna Argiò will speak on “Between Metaphor and Lived Experience: Reconsidering the Philosophy of Birth”. From 13:30 to 14:00, Rocío Pérez will present “Conceptualisations of Fertility: The Effects of Scientific Language and Ontology on Women’s Reproductive Autonomy”.

The afternoon session will focus on initiatives and perspectives from practice. From 15:30 to 16:00, Desirée Mena will open this section with “Naming Obstetric Violence: Reproduction, Sexual Difference and Power”. From 16:00 to 16:30, Patrizia Quattrocchi will present her contribution on IPOV and the collaborative development of the platform for academic research. From 16:30 to 17:00, Lisa Marie Larisch will address “Obstetric Violence: Civil Society and Public Health Perspectives”. From 17:00 to 17:30, María Fernanda González will present her work on narratives, activisms, reparation and therapeutic devices in perinatal mental health.

After the break from 17:30 to 18:00, Anne Hennesey will present “Images of Birth: Propaganda, Feminist Epistemology and Obstetric Violence” from 18:00 to 18:30. The seminar will conclude from 18:30 to 19:00 with Stella Villarmea and the session “Future Activities / Next Steps”.

The event is part of the activities linked to IPOV – Respectful Care, funded by the European Union’s HORIZON-MSCA-2022-Staff Exchange programme, with the participation of UK Research and Innovation. According to the note included in the event materials, the views expressed are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of the European Union or the funding authority.

Event details

Title in Spanish: Filosofía del nacimiento: violencia obstétrica y estado de excepción
Title in English: Philosophy of Birth: Obstetric Violence and State of Exception
Format: hybrid session, in person and online
Date: 12 June 2026
Venue: Faculty of Philosophy, Complutense University of Madrid
Room: Seminar Room 338
Schedule announced in the general poster: 9:30–13:30 and 15:00–18:00
Schedule according to the detailed programme: 9:30–19:00
Organisers / convenors: Stella Villarmea and the FILNAC / PHILBIRTH team
Collaborating institutions: Department of Logic and Theoretical Philosophy, UCM; Philosophy of Birth Network, University of Oxford; Institute for Feminist Research, UCM; Complutense University of Madrid; IPOV – Respectful Care
Featured IPOV participation: Stella Villarmea, Patrizia Quattrocchi and María Fernanda González
Online access via QR: https://qrco.de/bgp9lI