Obstetric violence: a Latin American legal response to mistreatment during childbirth

Williams, Caitlin R.; Jerez, Celeste; Klein, Karen; Correa, Malena; Belizán, José M.; Cormick, Gabriela

doi:10.1111/1471-0528.15270

Cited by 81 publications

(69 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…According to the jurisprudence about sexual and reproductive rights, and international law, OV violates the right to health, intimacy, no discrimination, no violence and no torture, among others [ 33 ]. To be able to defend women from such violence, Latin America is the world region that has coined the legal term OV with specific legislation in different countries [ 1 ], although legislating and making OV criminal have not had the expected positive effect on recognizing women’s reproductive rights [ 34 ]. In Europe, legislation on OV is still a pending matter, so it is necessary to empower more vulnerable women as to their human and their sexual-reproductive rights [ 35 ], and to offer them tools to defend themselves against invisible or socially accepted actions [ 36 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…No definition of Obstetric Violence (OV) as a result of a world consensus exists. Some countries have legislation about this concept and provide a definition [ 1 ]. In Spain, the OV Observatory defines such violence as “the act of ignoring the authority and autonomy that women have over their sexuality, their bodies, their babies and their pregnancy/birth experiences […], and of also ignoring the spontaneity, postures, rhythms and times that birth requires to progress normally; it is also the act of disregarding the emotional needs of both mother and baby at any time during pregnancy, while giving birth and during the immediate postpartum period” [ 2 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Obstetric Violence in Spain (Part I): Women’s Perception and Interterritorial Differences

Mena‐Tudela

Iglesias-Casás²,

Chorda

et al. 2020

IJERPH

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The decentralization of health systems can have direct repercussions on maternity care. Some inequalities can be noted in outcomes, like neonatal and child mortality in Spain. This study aimed to make the presence of obstetric violence in Spain visible as an interterritorial equity criterion. A descriptive, restrospective and cross-sectional study was conducted between January 2018 and June 2019. The sample comprised 17,541 questionnaires, which represented all Spanish Autonomous Communities. Of our sample, 38.3% perceived having suffered obstetric violence; 44.4% perceived that they had undergone unnecessary and/or painful procedures, of whom 83.4% were not requested to provide informed consent. The mean satisfaction with the attention women received obtained 6.94 points in the general sample and 4.85 points for those women who viewed themselves as victims of obstetric violence. Spain seems to have a serious problem with public health and respecting human rights in obstetric violence. Offering information to women and requesting their informed consent are barely practiced in the healthcare system, so it is necessary to profoundly reflect on obstetric practices with, and request informed consent from, women in Spain.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Obstetric Violence in Spain (Part I): Women’s Perception and Interterritorial Differences

Mena‐Tudela

Iglesias-Casás²,

Chorda

et al. 2020

IJERPH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…The ability of weak states and weak health systems to deliver on accountability goals is a challenge in many contexts [4]. However, we do not address this issue in the paper for reasons of space.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

When accountability meets power: realizing sexual and reproductive health and rights

Sen

Iyer

Chattopadhyay³

et al. 2020

Int J Equity Health

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This paper addresses a critical concern in realizing sexual and reproductive health and rights through policies and programsthe relationship between power and accountability. We examine accountability strategies for sexual and reproductive health and rights through the lens of power so that we might better understand and assess their actual working. Power often derives from deep structural inequalities, but also seeps into norms and beliefs, into what we 'know' as truth, and what we believe about the world and about ourselves within it. Power legitimizes hierarchy and authority, and manufactures consent. Its capillary action causes it to spread into every corner and social extremity, but also sets up the possibility of challenge and contestation. Using illustrative examples, we show that in some contexts accountability strategies may confront and transform adverse power relationships. In other contexts, power relations may be more resistant to change, giving rise to contestation, accommodation, negotiation or even subversion of the goals of accountability strategies. This raises an important question about measurement. How is one to assess the achievements of accountability strategies, given the shifting sands on which they are implemented? We argue that power-focused realist evaluations are needed that address four sets of questions about: i) the dimensions and sources of power that an accountability strategy confronts; ii) how power is built into the artefacts of the strategyits objectives, rules, procedures, financing methods inter alia; iii) what incentives, disincentives and norms for behavior are set up by the interplay of the above; and iv) their consequences for the outcomes of the accountability strategy. We illustrate this approach through examples of performance, social and legal accountability strategies.

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“…Within the last decade, respectful care in childbirth has garnered renewed attention, this time among a broader range of global health actors. For example, in Latin America, advocates pushed for legal frameworks addressing the issue [9]. The articles published in the Respectful Care series of this Journal reflect this, documenting the lack of dignified treatment in many countries: Tunisia, Nigeria, Guinea, Brazil, Tanzania, Ethiopia, India, South Africa, the United States, and among Romani women in Europe [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19].…”

mentioning

confidence: 97%

Every woman in the world must have respectful care during childbirth: a reflection

et al. 2020

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Obstetric violence: a Latin American legal response to mistreatment during childbirth

Cited by 81 publications

References 6 publications

Obstetric Violence in Spain (Part I): Women’s Perception and Interterritorial Differences

Obstetric Violence in Spain (Part I): Women’s Perception and Interterritorial Differences

When accountability meets power: realizing sexual and reproductive health and rights

Every woman in the world must have respectful care during childbirth: a reflection

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