Selection of laws (grouped by countries)
EUROPEAN LAWS
Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on combating violence against women and domestic violence (COM(2022) 105 final)
EESC 2022/01395
OJ C 443, 22/11/2022, p. 93–100 (BG, ES, CS, DA, DE, ET, EL, EN, FR, GA, HR, IT, LV, LT, HU, MT, NL, PL, PT, RO, SK, SL, FI, SV)
CELEX number: 52022AE1395
Form: Opinion
Author: European Economic and Social Committee
Date of document: 13/07/2022; Date of vote · Number of pages: 8
1.20 The EESC believes that broader violations of health and sexual and reproductive rights such as gynaecological and obstetric violence, forced pregnancy and denial of abortion care, should also be combated as forms of violence against women. Furthermore, the EESC notes with concern that the definition of violence against women does not include existing restrictions on induced abortion undergone freely and safely or the harassment suffered — mainly in the vicinity of the clinics where abortions take place — by women who freely choose this option.
3.31 The EESC is pleased that forced abortion and sterilisation have been recognised as specific forms of violence. However, broader violations of health and sexual and reproductive rights such as gynaecological and obstetric violence, forced pregnancy and denial of abortion care, should also be combated as forms of violence against women. The EESC notes with concern that the definition of violence against women does not include existing restrictions on induced abortion undergone freely and safely or the harassment suffered — mainly in the vicinity of the clinics where abortions take place — by women who freely choose this option.
European Parliament resolution of 24 June 2021 on the situation of sexual and reproductive health and rights in the EU, in the frame of women’s health (2020/2215(INI))
CELEX number: 52021IP0314
Form: Own-initiative resolution
Author: European Parliament, Committee on Development, Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality
Date of document: 24/06/2021; Date of vote · Number of pages: 20
- whereas SRH services are essential healthcare services that should be available to all and include comprehensive, evidence-based and age-appropriate sexuality and relationship education; information, confidential and unbiased counselling and services for sexual and reproductive health and well-being; information and counselling on modern contraception, as well as access to a wide range of modern contraceptives; antenatal, childbirth and postnatal care; midwifery; obstetric and newborn care; safe and legal abortion care and services, including treatment of the complications of unsafe abortion; the prevention and treatment of HIV and other STIs; services aimed at detecting, preventing and treating sexual and gender-based violence; prevention, detection and treatment for reproductive cancers, including cervical cancer; and fertility care and treatment;
- Recalls that all medical interventions related to SRHR must be undertaken with prior, personal and fully informed consent; calls on the Member States to combat gynaecological and obstetrical violence by reinforcing procedures that guarantee respect for free and prior informed consent and protection from inhuman and degrading treatment in healthcare settings, including through the training of medical professionals; calls on the Commission to tackle this specific form of gender-based violence in its activities;
- Calls on the Member States to do their utmost to ensure respect for women’s rights and their dignity in childbirth, and to strongly condemn and combat physical and verbal abuse, including gynaecological and obstetric violence, as well as any other associated gender-based violence in antenatal, childbirth and postnatal care, which violate women’s human rights and may constitute forms of gender-based violence;
European Parliament resolution of 11 June 2015 on Paraguay: legal aspects related to child pregnancy (2015/2733(RSP))
OJ C 407, 04/11/2016, p. 66–69 (BG, ES, CS, DA, DE, ET, EL, EN, FR, HR, IT, LV, LT, HU, MT, NL, PL, PT, RO, SK, SL, FI, SV)
CELEX number: 52015IP0230
Form: Resolution
Author: European Parliament
Date of document: 11/06/2015; Date of vote · Number of pages: 4
- Recognises that obstetric violence is an intersection between institutional violence and violence against women, constituting a grave violation of human rights such as the rights to equality, freedom from discrimination, information, integrity, health and reproductive autonomy, the consequences of which are degrading and inhumane childbirth, health complications, severe psychological distress, trauma and even death;
COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Bosnia and Herzegovina 2023 Report Accompanying the document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions 2023 Communication on EU Enlargement policy
SWD/2023/691 final
CELEX number: 52023SC0691
Form: Staff working document
Author: European Commission, Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations
Date of document: 08/11/2023
- Bosnia and Herzegovina needs to improve conditions in hospitals and maternity hospitals and ban obstetric violence, in line with its obligations under the Istanbul Convention. While there has been improvement in addressing gender-based violence, Bosnia and Herzegovina still needs to make significant investments in developing its multi-sectoral response mechanisms, including in healthcare institutions, for victims of gender-based violence, including sexual violence. Bosnia and Herzegovina needs to continue aligning healthcare, maternity, paternity and parental leave benefits and ensure that women, including women from marginalised groups, have equal access to health insurance and services.
COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Bosnia and Herzegovina 2022 Report Accompanying the document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions 2022 Communication on EU Enlargement policy
WD/2022/336 final
CELEX number: 52022SC0336
Form: Staff working document
Author: EEuropean Commission, Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations
Date of document: 12/10/2022
- Women and girls were disproportionally affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, most particularly by being on the frontlines of the pandemic and through loss of jobs in care, hospitality and services. Authorities need to ensure inclusion of a gender perspective in planning and implementation of relief and recovery measures aimed at addressing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the pandemic highlighted issues with access of women to medical facilities for regular prenatal examinations and increased morbidity and mortality related to pregnancy and childbirth complications. Bosnia and Herzegovina needs to improve conditions in hospitals and maternity hospitals and ban obstetric violence, in line with its obligations under the Istanbul Convention.
European Parliament resolution of 15 February 2023 on the proposal for a Council decision on the conclusion, by the European Union, of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (COM(2016)0109 — 2016/0062R(NLE))
OJ C 283, 11/08/2023, p. 149–162 (BG, ES, CS, DA, DE, ET, EL, EN, FR, HR, IT, LV, LT, HU, MT, NL, PL, PT, RO, SK, SL, FI, SV)
OJ C 283, 11/08/2023, p. 112–125 (GA)
CELEX number: 52023IP0047
Form: Resolution
Author: European Parliament, Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, Committee on Legal Affairs, Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality
Date of document: 15/02/2023; Date of vote · Number of pages: 14
- whereas gender-based violence, committed in particular against women and girls, may take many forms such as physical assault, sexual violence, including rape, female genital mutilation, femicide, trafficking of women and girls for the purposes of sexual exploitation, sexual harassment, ‘honour crimes’ and forced marriages, marital captivity, forced sterilisation, forced abortion, as well as the denial of safe and legal abortion, obstetric and gynaecological violence, institutional violence, vicarious violence, economic violence that occurs within the family and/or domestic unit, stalking, bullying and harassment, hate speech, both online and offline, and various forms of cyberviolence; whereas gender-based violence against LGBTIQ+ women includes additional forms of sexual violence, such as ‘corrective’ rape and sexual harassment, female and intersex genital mutilations, forced sterilisation of trans and intersex people and conversion therapy;
European Parliament resolution of 21 January 2021 on the EU Strategy for Gender Equality (2019/2169(INI))
CELEX number: 52021IP0025
Form: Own-initiative resolution
Author: European Parliament, Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, Committee on Culture and Education, Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality
Date of document: 21/01/2021; Date of vote · Number of pages: 24
- whereas violence against women in all its forms (physical, sexual, psychological, economic or cyber violence) is a violation of human rights and one of the biggest obstacles to achieving gender equality; whereas a life free from violence is a prerequisite for equality; whereas gender-based violence in health such as, for example, obstetric and gynaecological violence, are forms of violence that have only come to light in recent years and whereas violence against older women still remains largely under-recognised; whereas disinformation campaigns to undermine gender equality also block progress on the issue of eliminating violence against women, as has been seen in relation to the Istanbul Convention, leading to public opposition and harmful political decisions in some Member States;
European Parliament resolution of 26 November 2020 on the situation of Fundamental Rights in the European Union — Annual Report for the years 2018 — 2019 (2019/2199(INI))
CELEX number: 52020IP0328
Form: Own-initiative resolution
Author: European Parliament, Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, Committee on Constitutional Affairs, Committee on Petitions, Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality
Date of document: 26/11/2020; Date of vote · Number of pages: 19
- whereas cases of gynaecological and obstetrical violence have been increasingly denounced in several Member States (54); whereas the rights of women in all their diversity are protected under the Treaty, including Roma women, black women and women of colour, LGBT women and women with disabilities; whereas Roma women are particularly affected as regards women’s rights and often face exacerbated forms of verbal, physical, psychological and racial harassment in reproductive health care settings; whereas Roma have also experienced ethnic segregation in maternal health care facilities, and are placed in segregated rooms with segregated bathrooms and eating facilities; whereas in some Member States Roma have been subjected to systematic practices of forced and coercive sterilisation and have been unable to obtain adequate reparations, including compensation, for the resulting violations of their human rights;
- Strongly condemns all forms of sexual, gynaecological and obstetrical violence against women, such as inappropriate or non-consensual acts, painful interventions without anaesthetic, female genital mutilations, forced abortion, forced sterilisation and forced surrogacy;
SPANISH LAWS
Documento BOE-A-2008-9294
Ley 5/2008, de 24 de abril, del derecho de las mujeres a erradicar la violencia machista. Ver texto consolidado
Publicado en: «BOE» núm. 131, de 30 de mayo de 2008, páginas 25174 a 25194 (21 págs.) | Sección: I. Disposiciones generales | Departamento: Comunidad Autónoma de Cataluña | Referencia: BOE-A-2008-9294 | Permalink ELI:
https://www.boe.es/eli/es-ct/l/2008/04/24/5
Documento BOE-A-2015-1239
Ley 10/2014, de 29 de diciembre, de Salud de la Comunitat Valenciana. Ver texto consolidado
Publicado en: «BOE» núm. 35, de 10 de febrero de 2015, páginas 11133 a 11181 (49 págs.) | Sección: I. Disposiciones generales | Departamento: Comunitat Valenciana | Referencia: BOE-A-2015-1239 | Permalink ELI: https://www.boe.es/eli/es-vc/l/2014/12/29/10
Documento BOE-A-2022-1018
Ley 7/2021, de 29 de diciembre, de medidas fiscales, de gestión administrativa y financiera y de organización de la Generalitat 2022
Publicado en: «BOE» núm. 19, de 22 de enero de 2022, páginas 7085 a 7236 (152 págs.) | Sección: I. Disposiciones generales | Departamento: Comunitat Valenciana | Referencia: BOE-A-2022-1018 | Permalink ELI: https://www.boe.es/eli/es-vc/l/2021/12/29/7
- También se contemplan modificaciones en la Ley 10/2014, de salud de la Comunitat Valenciana para garantizar las medidas proclives a combatir la violencia obstétrica definida según la OMS. Asimismo, se incorpora una modificación de la Ley 7/2012, de 23 de noviembre, de la Generalitat, integral contra la violencia sobre la mujer en el ámbito de la Comunitat Valenciana para completar la protección de las víctimas de la violencia de género. Por último, se modifica la Ley 26/2018, de 21 de diciembre, de la Generalitat, de derechos y garantías de la infancia y adolescencia, en lo que se refiere a la declaración de riesgo.
Documento BOE-A-2021-464
Ley 17/2020, de 22 de diciembre, de modificación de la Ley 5/2008, del derecho de las mujeres a erradicar la violencia machista. Ver texto consolidado
Publicado en: «BOE» núm. 11, de 13 de enero de 2021, páginas 3096 a 3113 (18 págs.) | Sección: I. Disposiciones generales | Departamento: Comunitat Valenciana | Referencia: BOE-A-2021-464 | Permalink ELI: https://www.boe.es/eli/es-ct/l/2020/12/22/17
- d) Violencia obstétrica y vulneración de derechos sexuales y reproductivos: Consiste en impedir o dificultar el acceso a una información veraz, necesaria para la toma de decisiones autónomas e informadas. Puede afectar a los diferentes ámbitos de la salud física y mental, incluyendo la salud sexual y reproductiva, y puede impedir o dificultar a las mujeres tomar decisiones sobre sus prácticas y preferencias sexuales, y sobre su reproducción y las condiciones en que se lleva a cabo, de acuerdo con los supuestos incluidos en la legislación sectorial aplicable. Incluye la esterilización forzada, el embarazo forzado, el impedimento de aborto en los supuestos legalmente establecidos y la dificultad para acceder a los métodos anticonceptivos, a los métodos de prevención de infecciones de transmisión sexual y del VIH, y a los métodos de reproducción asistida, así como las prácticas ginecológicas y obstétricas que no respeten las decisiones, el cuerpo, la salud y los procesos emocionales de la mujer.
Documento BOE-A-2024-8187
Pleno. Sentencia 44/2024, de 12 de marzo de 2024. Recurso de inconstitucionalidad 1719-2021.
- d) Violencia obstétrica y vulneración de derechos sexuales y reproductivos: consiste en impedir o dificultar el acceso a una información veraz, necesaria para la toma de decisiones autónomas e informadas. Puede afectar a los diferentes ámbitos de la salud física y mental, incluyendo la salud sexual y reproductiva, y puede impedir o dificultar a las mujeres tomar decisiones sobre sus prácticas y preferencias sexuales, y sobre su reproducción y las condiciones en que se lleva a cabo, de acuerdo con los supuestos incluidos en la legislación sectorial aplicable. Incluye la esterilización forzada, el embarazo forzado, el impedimento de aborto en los supuestos legalmente establecidos y la dificultad para acceder a los métodos anticonceptivos, a los métodos de prevención de infecciones de transmisión sexual y del VIH, y a los métodos de reproducción asistida, así como las prácticas ginecológicas y obstétricas que no respeten las decisiones, el cuerpo, la salud y los procesos emocionales de la mujer.
FRENCH LAWS
Documents et publications
Assemblée nationale
Deuxième session extraordinaire de 2019-2020
Documents parlementaires
Dépôt du lundi 14 septembre 2020
Dépôt d'une proposition de résolution
M. le Président de l'Assemblée nationale a reçu, le 14 septembre 2020, de Mme Valérie Petit et plusieurs de ses collègues, une proposition de résolution invitant le Gouvernement à faire de la lutte contre les violences obstétricales et gynécologiques une priorité et à mettre en œuvre les recommandations du Haut Conseil à l'Egalité en la matière, déposée en application de l'article 136 du règlement.
Cette proposition de résolution a été déposée sous le n° 3305.
Documents et publications
Assemblée nationale
Deuxième session extraordinaire de 2019-2020
Documents parlementaires
Dépôt du mercredi 23 septembre 2020
Dépôt de rapports
N° 3305. - Proposition de résolution de Mme Valérie Petit et plusieurs de ses collègues, invitant le Gouvernement à faire de la lutte contre les violences obstétricales et gynécologiques une priorité et à mettre en œuvre les recommandations du Haut Conseil à l'Egalité en la matière.
Arrêté du 8 avril 2013 relatif au régime des études en vue du premier et du deuxième cycle des études médicales
Dernière mise à jour des données de ce texte : 11 janvier 2024
NOR : ESRS1308333A
Définition: Connaître l'existence des violences obstétricales
Prise en charge: Addictologie et grossesse : aspects essentiels de la prise en charge obstétricale et addictologique
Prise en charge: Connaître les principes d'une analgésie/ anesthésie obstétricale, les principales complications
Prise en charge: Connaître la surveillance obstétricale en dehors de la prise en charge de la menace d'accouchement prématuré
Documents et publications
Commissions et organes de contrôle
Délégation aux droits des femmes et à l'égalité des chances entre les hommes et les femmes,
- table ronde relative à la périnatalité dans la période d'état d'urgence sanitaire, réunissant :
- Mme Anne Evrard, coprésidente du Collectif interassociatif autour de la naissance (CIANE) ;
- Mme Sonia BISCH, fondatrice et porte-parole du collectif Tout.e.s contre les violences obstétricales et gynécologiques.
Avis du 22 mai 2018 « Agir contre les maltraitances dans le système de santé : une nécessité pour respecter les droits fondamentaux »
3. La récente libération de la parole des patients et des soignants sur le sujet des maltraitances dans le système de santé a mis en lumière des faits préoccupants. Parmi les affaires les plus médiatisées, on pourrait rappeler celles relevant de violences obstétricales, de la prise en charge des patients autistes, de la question de l'accueil et de la prise en charge des personnes âgées dans les EHPAD (Etablissements d'hébergement pour personnes âgées dépendantes) (5) ou dans les établissements psychiatriques.
9. Face à l'écho médiatique de certains cas de maltraitances, quelques pistes de réflexions et de réponses ont été proposées par les pouvoirs publics comme la création de labels de bientraitance dans les établissements médicaux, le renforcement des Commissions des usagers (14) ou encore la demande d'un rapport du Haut Conseil à l'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes (HCE) pour objectiver et quantifier les violences obstétricales. (15) Ces initiatives institutionnelles s'ajoutent à celles lancées par des professionnels du soin et des associations de lutte contre les discriminations (16), qui s'avèrent toutefois souvent ponctuelles et restent dépendantes de l'engagement de quelques personnes.
32. Certaines formes de violences obstétricales peuvent aussi conduire à des traitements dégradants. Ce terme, qui n'a pas de définition officielle, renvoie à de multiples formes de violences, par exemple, la pratique de césariennes à vif à la suite d'une anesthésie inefficace.
89. Ce phénomène est aggravé par le mode de financement adopté par le plan hôpital 2007, la tarification à l'activité (dite T2A) mise en œuvre à partir de 2004-2005 en médecine, chirurgie, obstétrique (MCO). Par rapport à l'ancien " budget global " les avantages et effets pervers de la T2A ont été analysés dès l'origine (158). Son principal défaut est de financer les dépenses à partir d'un coût pré-défini par pathologie et non en fonction de la réalité du coût qui peut être très différente par personne hospitalisée selon ses antécédents médicaux, son âge, sa situation sociale… pour une même pathologie et qui influeront sur sa durée de séjour. Le principal effet pervers pour l'hospitalisé (et pour les équipes soignantes qui subiront la pression managériale si la norme n'est pas respectée) est que ce système encourage les gestionnaires de chaque établissement à éviter d'accueillir ce que certains appellent les " patates chaudes " ou de s'en débarrasser très vite. Cela touche les personnes qui, pour la même pathologie, peuvent être amenées à nécessiter des soins de plus longue durée (personnes âgées, poly-pathologie, HTA, diabétiques… tous facteurs de cicatrisation, récupération moins rapides en post-opératoire notamment), ce que savent généralement mieux faire les établissements privés à but lucratif en les réorientant sous divers prétextes vers un établissement public… En utilisant l'intégralité de la dotation dédiée, l'établissement contribue à aggraver le déficit de la sécurité sociale.
98. Actuellement, la maltraitance reste trop souvent un non sujet institutionnel et, quand elle est abordée, ce n'est que sous des angles très spécifiques : violences obstétricales ou accueil des personnes âgées dépendantes. Afin de prendre conscience de sa dimension structurelle la constitution d'une documentation est nécessaire. La CNCDH invite donc les pouvoirs publics à encourager la recherche et les études sur cette question et à développer des outils statistiques fondés sur une définition commune et des indicateurs quantitatifs et qualitatifs permettant de mieux l'appréhender. La question de la maltraitance et des discriminations doit notamment être abordée dans les questionnaires portant sur les causes de renoncement ou de retard de soins, qui se limitent généralement aux motifs financiers et géographiques.
UNITED STATES LAWS
1. S.1864 — 117th Congress (2021-2022) Reproductive Rights are Human Rights Act of 2021
Sponsor: Menendez, Robert [Sen.-D-NJ] (Introduced 05/26/2021)
Committees: Senate - Foreign Relations
Latest Action: Senate - 05/26/2021 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. (All Actions)
2. H.R.3576 — 117th Congress (2021-2022) Reproductive Rights are Human Rights Act of 2021
Sponsor: Clark, Katherine M. [Rep.-D-MA-5] (Introduced 05/28/2021) Cosponsors: (148)
Committees: House - Foreign Affairs
Latest Action: House - 05/28/2021 Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. (All Actions)
“(ii) instances of obstetric violence, involuntary or coerced abortion, involuntary or coerced pregnancy, coerced sterilization, use of incentives or disincentives to lower or raise fertility, withholding of information on reproductive health options, and other forms of reproductive and sexual coercion; and
Other Countries
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Sounding the Alarm: Government of the Republic of Namibia v LM and Women's Rights during Childbirth in South Africa (Vol 21) [2018] PER 44 [100%]
(From Potchefstroom Electronic Law Journal // Potchefstroomse Elektroniese Regsblad ; 1 January 2018; 199 KB) -
DUBSKA AND KREJZOVA v. THE CZECH REPUBLIC - 28859/11 (Judgment (Merits and Just Satisfaction) : Court (Grand Chamber)) [2016] ECHR 1004 (15 November 2016) [14%]
(From European Court of Human Rights; 243 KB) -
Nicaragua - Sixth periodic report of States parties [2005] UNCEDAWSPR 17; CEDAW/C/NIC/6 (5 July 2005) [14%]
(From United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women - State Party Reports; 5 July 2005; 260 KB) -
El Salvador - Combined third to fifth periodic reports submitted by El Salvador under articles 16 and 17 of the Covenant [2012] UNCESCRSPR 28; E/C12/SLV/3-5 (29 October 2012) [7%]
(From United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights - State Party Reports; 29 October 2012; 524 KB) -
Venezuela - Third periodic report under the ICESCR [2013] UNCESCRSPR 31; E/C12/VEN/3 (19 November 2013) [7%]
(From United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights - State Party Reports; 19 November 2013; 467 KB) - Argentina - 6th periodic report of state parties [2008] UNCEDAWSPR 11; CEDAW/C/ARG/6 (8 September 2008) [100%]
(From United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women - State Party Reports; 8 September 2008; 207 KB)