Midwives preventing obstetric violence by facilitating respectful maternity care

Abstract

Background

Obstetric violence is a significant ethical and human rights concern in maternity care that undermines women’s dignity, autonomy, and respectful care during childbirth. Although women’s experiences of mistreatment are widely documented, less attention has focused on factors that enable midwives to prevent obstetric violence and provide respectful maternity care, particularly in low-resource settings.

Research aim

This study explored midwives’ perspectives on facilitators of respectful maternity care for the prevention of obstetric violence in maternity centres in South-West Nigeria.

Research design

A qualitative descriptive design was adopted, and data were analysed using Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis.

Participants and research context

Thirty registered midwives with at least 5 years of maternity care experience participated in three focus group discussions conducted in three state-owned secondary health facilities in Oyo State, South-West Nigeria.

Ethical considerations

Ethical approval was obtained from the University of KwaZulu-Natal Biomedical Research Ethics Committee and the Oyo State Ministry of Health Research Ethics Review Committee. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants.

Findings/results

Five themes were identified as facilitators of respectful maternity care and obstetric violence prevention: improvements in maternity facilities; improvement of midwives’ welfare; formal institutional and legal actions; training and re-training of midwives; and orientation of pregnant women. Midwives described how supportive infrastructure, staffing, remuneration, institutional policies, legal accountability, continuous professional education, and women’s awareness contribute to respectful and ethical maternity care practices.

Conclusions

Preventing obstetric violence requires supportive health systems that strengthen midwives’ capacity to provide dignified and respectful maternity care. Addressing structural, institutional, legal, and educational facilitators is essential for promoting ethical childbirth care and protecting women’s rights.