Mistreatment of Women in the Labor Room: Perceptions of Healthcare Providers

This chapter is based on a qualitative study exploring perceptions of healthcare providers (HCPs) related to the mistreatment of women during childbirth. The study was conducted at two public hospitals in Maharashtra, India. At the time of the study, one of the hospitals had recently initiated measures to prevent the mistreatment of women in the labor rooms. Eighteen HCPs comprising doctors, nurses, and maintenance and cleaning staff were interviewed. HCPs interviewed denied any “violence” or “mistreatment” against women in the labor rooms. HCPs saw procedures such as restraints, scolding, and shouting at women as essential for positive child delivery outcomes. Privacy and confidentiality were narrowly interpreted. Contraceptive advice and procedures were often provider-driven. Findings also revealed biases against economically marginalized women, especially those of a religious minority group. Challenges faced by HCPs ranged from inadequate staffing, multitasking in labor rooms, and nurses saddled with administrative responsibilities, leaving no time for patient care in labor rooms. The study findings suggest a paternalistic medical model placing medical knowledge on the top rung of the hierarchy and devaluing women’s experiences. HCPs lack sensitivity to gender and other social inequalities and the context in which women seek child delivery services. Thus, perceptions and biases about patient communities remain unchallenged. There is an urgent need to unravel these complexities to address the fundamental aspects of power hierarchy and prevent the mistreatment of women in labor.