The UN Special Rapporteur Dubravka Šimonović released the report on violence against women

The UN General Assembly, 11. 7. 2019

Dubravka Šimonović, the Special Rapporteur of the Human Rights Council on violence against women, its causes and consequences, submitted the report analysing the issue of mistreatment and violence against women in reproductive health services with a focus on childbirth and obstetric violence, as well as the root causes and structural issues that need to be addressed to combat such forms of mistreatment and violence. The report is submitted pursuant to General Assembly resolution 71/170.

In section II of the report, the Special Rapporteur summarizes the activities carried out under the mandate during the reporting period, up until July 2019. In section III, the Rapporteur analyses mistreatment and violence against women in reproductive health services with a focus on childbirth and obstetric violence, and identifies the root causes of mistreatment as well as structural challenges. In section IV, the Rapporteur sets out her conclusion and recommendations on preventing and combating mistreatment and violence against women in reproductive health services and during childbirth.

Our NGO Občan, demokracia a zodpovednosť (Citizen, Democracy and Accountability) together with NGO Ženské kruhy (Women’s Circles) had submitted information on violations of the human rights of women in Slovak birthing facilities to the Special Rapporteur on violence against women for its consideration in the context of mistreatment and violence against women during reproductive health care with a focus on childbirth. They referred to two reports Women – Mothers – Bodies: Women’s Human Rights in Obstetric Care in Healthcare Facilities in Slovakia (2015) and Women – Mothers – Bodies II: Systemic Aspects of Violations of Women’s Human Rights in Birth Care Provided in Healthcare Facilities in Slovakia (2016, 2018). The reports are based on monitoring of all Slovak hospitals and qualitative research using semi-structured in-depth interviews with women describing their birthing experience, as well as interviews with doctors and midwives, in the context of international human rights standards and evidence-based medicine.
 
Read the full UN report