The one that can (not) be named: obstetric violence

• Authors: Giovanna Baggio Flores , Maria Eduarda Penha de Almeida , Miriam Olivia Knopik Ferraz , Julia Heliodoro Souza Gitirana

Abstracts

EN

Obstetric violence is a recurring problem that affects many women all over the world. Obstetric violence is any action or omission directed at a woman during prenatal care, childbirth or the puerperium, which ends up causing unnecessary pain or suffering to the pregnant woman. These acts include acts carried out without her clear consent, demonstrating a violation of her autonomy, physical and mental integrity. The purpose of this paper is to analyze obstetric violence and its correlation with the 1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. The major problem regarding obstetric violence stems from the lack of specific provisions on this type of violence, even in the 1979 Convention, which aimed to protect women in a broad context. There is a gap in this international treaty regarding this type of abuse, with no clear definition on this topic. It is important to emphasize that there are several variables to be considered, one of which is social inequality itself, in which women in precarious income conditions are more likely to be victims of obstetric violence, given the discrepancy between the public and private health systems. Furthermore, the rates of occurrence of this phenomenon vary from country to country, as does the legislation on the subject. As this is a serious violation of fundamental rights, especially public health and human dignity, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women will be analyzed in the context of obstetric violence. In this scenario, the article will have the following specific objectives: a) to define obstetric violence; b) to analyze the International Convention; c) to point out the importance of defining and characterizing this phenomenon at international level. For this purpose, the methodology used in this work is deductive, making use of qualitative research, with documentary and descriptive analysis. Therefore, there will be a reflection on the possible presentation of a proposal to update the international treaty to resolve these gaps, naming and characterizing obstetric violence correctly, as it is an extremely important issue for the protection of women’s sexual and reproductive rights.

Keywords

EN

obstetric violence; pregnant women; violence; 1979 convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women

• Publisher: Uniwersytet Andrzeja Frycza Modrzewskiego w Krakowie
• Journal: Studia Prawnicze: rozprawy i materiały
• Year: 2025
• Volume: 36
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 217-243

Dates

published

2025

Contributors

author

Giovanna Baggio Flores

• Centro Universitário Campus Curitiba

author

Maria Eduarda Penha de Almeida

• Centro Universitário Campus Curitiba

author

Miriam Olivia Knopik Ferraz

• Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina

author

Julia Heliodoro Souza Gitirana

• Universidade Federal do Paraná

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Identifiers

DOI

10.48269/2451-0807-sp-2025-1-09

Biblioteka Nauki

61807817