Obstetric violence refers to the violation of women's human rights during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. This type of violence can take various forms, such as inhumane treatment, lack of informed consent, over-medicalization, discrimination, and both physical and verbal abuse, among others. It is crucial to note that obstetric violence can be carried out by both medical personnel and healthcare institutions and can have devastating effects on women's experience during childbirth.

The World Health Organization (WHO) characterizes obstetric violence as "dehumanizing and degrading treatment, excessive medicalization, and a lack of autonomy and decision-making capacity of women in the childbirth process." This explanation underscores the importance of honoring women's dignity and rights in obstetric care and highlights the urgency of eliminating practices that undermine their physical and emotional integrity.

The recognition of obstetric violence as a form of human rights violation has fueled the demand for a more respectful and women-centered approach to obstetric care, promoting the implementation of policies and protocols that ensure respect for women's autonomy, integrity, and dignity during labor and birth.

The legal and moral implications of obstetric violence are essential to addressing this problem from a human rights perspective. In several countries, the absence of specific laws protecting women from obstetric violence has resulted in a legal vacuum that sustains these practices. For this reason, human rights activism in the field of obstetric care has prompted the creation of laws that explicitly prohibit obstetric violence and establish punishments for those who carry it out.

From an ethical perspective, obstetric violence presents significant challenges regarding respect for the autonomy, integrity, and dignity of women during the birthing process. The principles of bioethics, which include respect for autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice, are key to guiding the behavior of medical personnel and ensuring that obstetric care is ethical and respectful.

The recognition of obstetric violence as a human rights violation has fostered calls for a more respectful and woman-centered approach to obstetric care. This includes promoting policies and protocols that ensure respect for women's autonomy, integrity, and dignity throughout labor and birth.

Obstetric violence has a considerable impact on both women's physical and emotional health. Traumatic situations experienced during childbirth can lead to disorders such as post-traumatic stress, depression, and anxiety, in addition to negatively affecting women's mental health. Furthermore, the lack of consideration for women's autonomy and dignity can have a detrimental effect on their self-esteem and self-confidence, affecting their long-term emotional well-being.

From a physical perspective, obstetric violence can cause physical harm, injuries, and complications during childbirth, as well as increase the risk of maternal mortality. The lack of informed consent and excessive medicalization can result in unnecessary interventions that threaten women's health and integrity, highlighting the urgency of providing evidence-based obstetric care that respects human rights.

Health activism regarding obstetric violence has been strengthened through awareness-raising campaigns, reporting of cases of obstetric violence, and the promotion of legal reforms and medical protocols that protect women's reproductive rights. This context has led to a growing recognition of obstetric violence as a human rights violation, generating significant momentum for its eradication globally.

Obstetric violence has become an important issue within health activism, as it is closely linked to human rights in the field of obstetric care. This type of violence occurs through mistreatment, abuse, lack of informed consent, discrimination, and negligence in reproductive health. At the time of giving birth, women have the basic right to receive care that is respectful, dignified, and free from any type of violence, thus ensuring their physical, emotional, and mental well-being.

It is essential to understand that obstetric care not only refers to medical aspects but also includes respect for women's autonomy, privacy, and ability to make informed decisions. Human rights in this context mean ensuring dignified treatment of women during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period, in addition to facilitating access to the necessary information so they can make informed decisions about their health and that of their babies.

Obstetric violence attacks women's dignity and essential rights, maintaining gender inequalities and violating ethical and legal principles that protect people. Therefore, addressing this issue from a human rights perspective is essential to eliminating these harmful practices in maternal health care.

Obstetric violence is deeply connected to reproductive rights, which include the right to freely and responsibly choose how many children to have, the time between them, and to receive information about and access to contraceptive methods. The imposition of unnecessary medical procedures, the disregard for women's autonomy, and forced sterilization are some of the practices that violate women's reproductive rights.

When women's physical and emotional integrity is not respected during pregnancy and childbirth, their ability to make informed decisions about their reproductive health is impaired, which undermines their autonomy and right to decide. Thus, obstetric violence is not only an offense against human rights, but also directly affects the protection of women's reproductive rights, perpetuating inequality and discrimination in maternal health care.

It is crucial to recognize that respecting reproductive rights is fundamental to ensuring women's health and well-being and promoting more equitable and just societies. Therefore, reproductive health and human rights activism must comprehensively address obstetric violence as a problem that directly affects women's autonomy and respect for their dignity in the context of motherhood.

In the context of human rights advocacy, there are international standards and agreements that treat obstetric violence as a violation of women's basic rights. An example is the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), which establishes that signatory states must eliminate discrimination against women in the field of health care, including preventing and punishing obstetric violence.

Furthermore, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international agreements recognize the right to health, physical integrity, and personal autonomy as essential principles that are violated by obstetric violence. These laws are essential for demanding respect for and guaranteeing human rights in the field of maternal health, as well as for promoting public policies that prevent and punish obstetric violence.

Including obstetric violence in both national and international legislation is a vital step in raising awareness of this issue, protecting affected women, and fostering real change in the institutional and social culture related to obstetric care. Recognizing obstetric violence as a normative human rights violation is essential for carrying out effective actions to ensure the protection of women's reproductive health rights.

Human rights defenders have played a pivotal role in the fight against obstetric violence. They have worked hard to raise awareness about this issue, promote changes in laws and policies that protect pregnant women, and demand the establishment of respectful medical care protocols during childbirth. These activities include organizing marches, disseminating information about the rights of pregnant women, collaborating with health professionals, and pressuring institutions to take responsibility for cases of obstetric violence.

Furthermore, human rights defenders have worked closely with international organizations, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), to ensure that obstetric violence is recognized as a human rights violation at the global level. They have advocated for the inclusion of this issue on the human rights agenda and have participated in drafting reports and recommendations for governments and health institutions. Additionally, human rights defenders have assisted those affected by obstetric violence, providing them with legal aid, support in the reporting process, and access to mental health services. Their work has been crucial in raising awareness of this issue and in driving significant change in the way obstetric care is handled globally.

Obstetric violence is linked to sociocultural and economic factors that maintain gender inequality and discrimination. Women from disadvantaged communities or those with low socioeconomic status often suffer the most from obstetric violence, as they face additional difficulties in accessing quality health services and defending their rights during childbirth.

Lack of knowledge about reproductive rights and the lack of clear procedures to prevent and manage obstetric violence contribute to the continued presence of this problem in various settings. Furthermore, cultural norms and gender discrimination affect the way women are treated during pregnancy and childbirth, perpetuating violent and depersonalized practices.

Regarding economic factors, insufficient resources in the health system, a lack of trained personnel, and poor infrastructure constitute significant obstacles to ensuring quality, violence-free obstetric care. These factors disproportionately impact women in vulnerable situations, exacerbating inequalities and maintaining obstetric violence as a systemic violation of human rights.

Childbirth care varies greatly in different regions of the world, affecting the prevalence and visibility of obstetric violence. In some developed countries, policies and procedures have been introduced to curb obstetric violence and ensure dignified treatment of pregnant women, while in other countries, a lack of regulations and oversight allows this problem to continue widely.

In Latin American countries, for example, excessive medicalization of childbirth, unnecessary invasive procedures, and the lack of informed consent have been reported as common forms of obstetric violence that impact many women. In contrast, Nordic countries such as Finland and Sweden have implemented policies that prioritize respect for women's freedom during childbirth, which has helped reduce obstetric violence and improve women's experiences during childbirth.

These differences highlight the need to promote global standards of obstetric care based on respect for human rights, ensuring dignified and safe maternity care for all women, regardless of where they live or their social and economic status.

Obstetric violence has been addressed in diverse ways around the world, leading to the creation of different laws and public policies in various countries. Some have established specific laws prohibiting obstetric violence and upholding women's rights during childbirth, while others still lack clear regulations on the matter. This variation in laws and policies highlights the need for a comprehensive analysis to identify strengths and weaknesses in safeguarding human rights in obstetric care.

When examining laws and public policies related to obstetric violence, it is essential to consider aspects such as access to medical care, informed consent, respect for women's autonomy during childbirth, and training for health care personnel in the prevention of obstetric violence. This analysis will uncover best practices and encourage the adoption of initiatives that ensure a respectful and human rights-centered approach at all levels of obstetric care.

Furthermore, by conducting a comprehensive review of current laws and policies, it will be possible to identify the need for changes or improvements where the protection of human rights during childbirth is inadequate or nonexistent. This comparison will not only help review the current status of protection against obstetric violence but will also provide a basis for creating and implementing new proposals that promote respect for and the protection of human rights in the field of maternal health.

Within health activism, various initiatives have emerged focused on raising awareness about obstetric violence and demanding significant changes in health policies. Initiatives such as the "Give Birth in Freedom" campaign in Latin America, promoted by human rights organizations, have successfully highlighted cases of obstetric violence and mobilized the community to demand dignified and respectful treatment during childbirth. Furthermore, movements such as Birthrights in the United Kingdom have worked to defend the rights of pregnant women, promoting a person-centered and violence-free approach.

These initiatives have had a significant impact by highlighting obstetric violence as a human rights violation, encouraging changes in laws, and facilitating accountability in the field of maternal health.

Health activism related to obstetric violence has cultivated collaborations with women's rights groups, recognizing the relationship between this form of violence and other gender issues. Cooperation between reproductive rights movements and feminist organizations has made it possible to address obstetric violence comprehensively, placing it within the broader context of the struggle for gender equality and respect for women's autonomy in the health sector.

These collaborations have increased the influence of these movements, generating greater awareness and mobilization around the elimination of obstetric violence, as well as promoting birth care practices that respect and are based on scientific evidence.

Activism related to health and obstetric violence has had a significant impact on public opinion, helping to raise awareness of this issue and challenge medical practices that affect women's rights during childbirth. This type of activism has also influenced health policies, promoting the creation of norms and laws that safeguard reproductive rights and ensure dignified and respectful treatment of pregnant women.

The pressure exerted by these movements and campaigns has led to greater concern among health institutions and authorities, encouraging the adoption of measures to prevent and punish obstetric violence and to provide quality maternity care centered on human rights. In this context, health activism has helped generate real changes in policies and practices related to childbirth care and maternal health, promoting a respectful approach focused on the full exercise of human rights.

Activism addressing obstetric violence has made important progress in raising awareness about this issue and promoting health policy reforms. However, significant challenges remain in its efforts to eliminate this form of violence and ensure respect for human rights in maternal health. One of the main challenges is the need to increase awareness and training for medical personnel, as well as the effective implementation of protocols that defend women's rights during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period.

Additionally, maternal health activism faces the challenge of ensuring that women have access to the information necessary to make informed decisions about their obstetric care, as well as to quality health services that protect their autonomy and dignity. The disparity in health service provision between urban and rural areas and gender discrimination are barriers that activism must address to achieve the elimination of obstetric violence.

Regarding future prospects, advocacy for maternal health and the elimination of obstetric violence will focus on promoting inclusive, evidence-based policies that respect human rights. This will require closer collaboration between civil society organizations, governments, and international agencies, as well as the active participation of women in defining strategies and actions to safeguard their rights during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period.