Women, doctors, activism and the State: the production of obstetric violence

Abstract

This article addresses how the concept of obstetric violence is produced, which has been the subject of controversies that reveal the conflicts between medical, political, legal and social movement activists in favor of women’s reproductive rights fields. We will address these controversies specifically among medical entities and humanized childbirth activists. The historical and political context is that of the administration of President Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2022), in which human rights, including women’s and reproductive rights, were seriously undermined. The data presented here refer to interviews, observations of clinical sessions and analysis of documents on the subject that reveal the different interests in these fields, where there is a dispute over the legitimacy of the actors directly involved – obstetricians and parturients – as victims. Our understanding is that obstetric violence, which is difficult to reach a consensus between medical entities and victims, must be widely discussed between the parties in a non-competitive way and that pregnant women and women in labor know and fight for their rights. Likewise, the State must provide adequate conditions and infrastructure for the work of obstetricians so that childbirth assistance can be carried out in a dignified manner.