Recognising the severity of this issue, international bodies such as the United Nations (2019), the Council of Europe (2021), the European Parliament (2019, 2024), and the European Commission (2024) have defined obstetric violence as a violation of human rights, categorising it as both gender-based and institutional violence.
It is important to note that most instances of OV are not intentional. Rather, they are perpetuated through normalised routines and a risk-based approach to pregnancy and childbirth. OV is deeply structural and intersectional, rooted in societal norms, health inequities, gender stereotypes, professional hierarchies, and the power dynamics between women and healthcare practitioners.
Crucially, all women, regardless of their economic status, level of education, or socio-cultural background, are at risk of experiencing obstetric violence. This pervasive issue demands urgent attention and action to ensure that all women receive the respectful and compassionate care they deserve during one of the most critical periods of their lives.
« … it means that the legal protection should not be designed to remove the vulnerability by rendering the woman fully autonomous and putting her in sole charge of the situation as that would be impossible and undesirable. The message of universal vulnerability is that we need to cooperate together in respectful ways to find solutions to the challenges we face as we lack the resources alone to respond to them.»
— Camilla Pickles et Jonathan Herring, “Introduction”, dans Childbirth, Vulnerability and Law. Exploring Issues of Violence and Control, Camilla Pickles et Jonathan Herring (dir.), Routledge, 2020, p. 8.
1. INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
2. GOVERNMENTAL NATIONAL SURVEYS
3. GUIDELINES PROTOCOLS
