Obstetric violence is violence that occurs against pregnant or birthing individuals and includes physical, emotional, psychological, and even sexual violence committed by healthcare practitioners, such as doctors, nurses and midwives. This term is by no means a new term. Literature on obstetric violence in South Africa has existed since 1997, with a Medical Research Council study of maternal health services in and around Cape Town, and yet there is very little public awareness of this phenomenon.

Julie Mentor joins us now and she’s the leader of the Embrace Mothers Movement. They advocate for the priorities of early motherhood and one such priority is ensuring that mothers have equal access to compassionate and good quality healthcare before, during and after pregnancy. Over the duration of 16 days of activism, they are centering their focus on the stories of mothers and their experiences in the maternity ward.

Title:                          [• Ms]

Name:                        [• Julie Mentor]

Position AND org.:   [• Leader of the Embrace Women Movement]