Press release
…………………………………………………………………………………..
Today, Tuesday, February 22nd, the Studies and Research Unit of the Forum for Development and Human Rights Dialogue issued a new report entitled (Obstetric Violence , countries with developed health systems (USA-Canada-Italy).
A similar report was issued by the Research and Studies Unit at the Forum for Development and Human Rights last year, which monitors violations of women’s rights, especially “obstetric violence” in areas of armed conflict, as this phenomenon is widely spread in these places as a result of the deterioration of health care systems.
Despite this, we have recently observed that obstetric violence is not far from women in developed countries, and we have found many daring women who disclosed the abuse they were subjected to during the birth process in the United States of America, Canada and Italy and refugees from different countries who live on the borders of foreign countries are subjected also for obstetric violence.
The report reviewed cases of violence during childbirth in developed countries (USA – Canada – Italy), and its impact on maternal mortality in foreign countries. The report emphasized on the importance of the role of the World Health Organization in raising awareness of obstetric violence (violence during childbirth), which many women are exposed to around the world.
The report monitored a number of statistics on cases of violence during childbirth in (the United States – Canada – Italy), and they came as follows:
The medical condition of women in the United States is getting worse. In 2015, the United States ranked 27th in the world in infant mortality and 46th in maternal mortality.
The vast majority of women who give birth in US hospitals leave the hospital and report low satisfaction with giving birth in US hospitals. One in five women reports postpartum trauma.
In Canada, obstetric violence is not recognized as a concept as well as not widely known in Canada, but many women reported that they experienced significant abuse during childbirth.
In Italy, 1 million mothers (21% of mothers) suffered various degrees of obstetric violence in their first childbirth, and 6% of women were so traumatized in the past years that they gave up having more children, a choice that leads to a number of Approximately 20,000 babies are born each year.
While childbirth is expected to be the most exciting event in a woman’s life, 4 out of 10 mothers say they have been exposed to practices that undermine their dignity and personal safety.
In conclusion, the report emphasized the need to raise awareness about the concept of obstetric violence and the need to collect more information about it and to listen to and help victims of obstetric violence. The report also stressed the importance of the role of the World Health Organization in raising awareness about this concept.
