Project: “Perception Study: Exploring Obstetric Violence Through the Eyes of Health Professionals and Health Students”

The Arab Institute for Women (AiW), in partnership with the Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine at LAU, given funding from UNFPA, is conducting a perception study on obstetric violence (OV) through the eyes of health professionals and health students at LAU’s two medical centers: Rizk and Saint John’s hospitals.

Obstetric violence (OV) is a type of gender-based violence (GBV) that generally refers to physical violence, non-consensual intervention, and disrespect of women during perinatal care, which could lead to severe physical and mental health consequences as well as distrust in the health system. In recent years, there has been growing global recognition of OV, with studies conducted in various countries highlighting its prevalence and direct impact on women’s mental and physical health. Importantly, the World Health Organization (WHO) has highlighted the urgency of recognizing OV as a violation of human rights and has recommended to work towards its termination, mainly through programmatic and national policies.

Due to the scarcity of research on OV in Lebanon, the true extent of the problem is unknown.  However, anecdotal evidence suggests that women in Lebanon have experienced mistreatment and abuse during pregnancy and childbirth. For this reason, The AiW and the Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine will work together to examine the perception of health professionals and health students of obstetric violence. The project will serve as a pilot or catalyst for a broader scale-up approach that can be replicated or built upon with state actors (e.g., the Ministry of Public Health) in Lebanon.

This study is aimed at developing a policy brief on OV, understanding perceptions of health care providers and students on OV, and raising their awareness on perinatal care. LAU will serve as a technical arm to support national efforts to reform the health sector in Lebanon based on a gender-sensitive approach.