By Lovetti Lafua, Midwife, Biologist & Human Optimization Researcher

Every year on November 25th, a quiet protest takes place. Women around the world place single pink roses outside delivery rooms and maternity clinics. This movement, the Roses Revolution, is a memorial for a trauma that happens in plain sight yet remains shrouded in silence: violence during childbirth.

Each rose represents a story—of a woman who was ignored, disrespected, coerced, or violated during one of the most vulnerable moments of her life. As a midwife and researcher, I have seen the profound and lasting scars these experiences leave on a woman’s health, her identity, and her bond with her child.

This article is for mothers and caregivers alike. We will define obstetric violence, explore its systemic roots, and outline a clear path toward a future where every birth is an experience of dignity and respect.

The Sacred Space of Birth

Childbirth is a physiological event, but it is also a profound rite of passage. It demands a woman’s complete strength, trust, and vulnerability. In this state, she depends on her care team not just for clinical skill, but for:

• Clear, honest communication
• Unwavering emotional support
• Empathy and compassion
• Absolute respect for her autonomy and dignity

Pain and intensity are expected parts of labor. Violence and trauma are not.

Trauma in childbirth rarely comes from the force of contractions. It comes from how a woman is treated.

What is Obstetric Violence?

While there is no single global definition, the World Health Organization (WHO) and other bodies recognize obstetric violence as a form of disrespect, abuse, and a violation of human rights. It is not always about physical force; it is about the theft of power and dignity.

Forms of obstetric violence include:

• Procedures Without Informed Consent: Performing vaginal exams, episiotomies, or other interventions after a woman has said no, or without asking for permission at all.
• Coercion and Threats: Pressuring a woman into a decision by using fear-based language or threatening the baby’s safety.
• Verbal Abuse: Using harsh, disrespectful, or dehumanizing language. Speaking about the woman instead of to her.
• Neglect or Abandonment: Leaving a woman alone during critical moments or ignoring her calls for help.
• Discrimination: Providing substandard care based on race, ethnicity, age, or socioeconomic status.
• Denial of Care: Withholding pain relief without a medical reason or refusing admission.

The ‘Small’ Moments That Cause Big Trauma

Often, the deepest wounds come from actions that seem minor to an outsider:

• A condescending tone.
• An eye-roll in response to a question.
• A decision made for her, not with her.
• A routine exam that feels like an assault to a survivor of past sexual trauma.

These moments strip away a woman’s sense of safety and control, turning a physiological process into a psychological ordeal.

The Aftermath: Trauma’s Lasting Scars

From my background in biology and human optimization, I know that the body holds onto trauma. The impact of a violent birth extends far beyond a “bad memory.”

Potential consequences include:

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Postpartum Depression and Anxiety
• Difficulty bonding with the baby
• Fear and avoidance of future medical care or pregnancies
• Lasting feelings of failure, shame, and powerlessness

The body remembers what the mind desperately tries to forget.

It’s Not ‘Bad Apples’, It’s a Broken System

Most midwives, doctors, and nurses enter this profession driven by a deep desire to help. So why does this violence continue to happen? Because it is often a symptom of a deeply flawed system.

Systemic failures that enable obstetric violence include:

• Chronic Staff Shortages & Burnout: Overworked, exhausted caregivers have less capacity for empathy and patience.
• Hierarchical & Fear-Based Culture: Nurses and midwives often feel powerless to challenge a doctor’s decision, even when they know it’s wrong.
• Lack of Training: Most medical training focuses on managing complications, not on trauma-informed communication or consent.
• The Assembly Line Model: A system that pressures staff to speed up births and meet quotas treats women like objects, not individuals.

A system under stress creates stressed caregivers. Stressed caregivers are more likely to provide poor care. And poor care too often becomes violent care. Many compassionate professionals leave the field because they cannot ethically practice within these constraints.

Building a Culture of Safety: A Blueprint for Change

Creating violence-free birth requires a seismic shift in culture and policy. It’s not enough to tell caregivers to “be nicer.” We must rebuild the system.

1. Create Safe Reporting Channels: Women and staff need confidential, non-retaliatory systems to report abuse and near-misses.
2. Implement Routine Birth Debriefings: Offer every woman a postnatal opportunity to discuss her birth experience with a trained professional to process events and provide feedback.
3. Mandate Trauma-Informed Training: All maternity care providers must be trained in consent, communication, and how to care for survivors of previous trauma.
4. Enforce Woman-Centered Policies: Hospitals must adopt and enforce zero-tolerance policies for disrespect and abuse, making informed consent the immovable cornerstone of care.
5. Fix the System for Caregivers: We must advocate for safe staffing ratios, mental health support for providers, and models of care (like midwifery-led continuity) that foster trust and reduce burnout.
6. Recognize Obstetric Violence Legally: Governments and policymakers must classify violence in childbirth as a form of gender-based violence.

This isn’t just about better births; it’s about building a sustainable, ethical maternity care system for everyone.

A Future of Dignified Birth

The culture of birth must be flexible, human, and rooted in an unwavering commitment to dignity. A woman’s sense of safety is not a luxury; it is a clinical necessity.

Every rose laid on November 25th is a call to action. We are all called to listen to women, believe their stories, and advocate for a system that honors birth as a moment of empowerment, not fear.

Because when we change birth, we change families. And when we change families, we change the world.