Giving Visibility to Violence Against Women During Pregnancy

Abstract

Relating pregnancy and violence may seem contradictory, since, in the collective imagination, giving birth and pregnancy are usually associated with satisfaction and personal fulfillment. However, some studies indicate that up to 20% of women can suffer violence, infringed by their partners, during pregnancy. While approaching gender violence during pregnancy is a sensitive issue, it becomes even more so when the health system is the perpetrator of the violence, of what is known as «obstetric violence». This term is used to denounce the excessive medicalization in health care during the physiological process of childbirth, referring to the dehumanized treatment given to women during care. The articles presented in this issue derive from the papers presented in the «Third International Conference on Gender, Ethics and Care: Giving Visibility to Violence against Women during Pregnancy», held in Barcelona in May 2018. Throughout 2019, both in this issue and following, the journal MUSAS will publish some of the most outstanding papers and communications of the conference.