The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, based in Banjul, The Gambia, has initiated a process to develop “Guidelines on the Elimination of Obstetric Violence and Promotion of Maternal Healthcare in Africa”, which is aimed at ensuring that all women on the continent have access to quality maternal and reproductive healthcare services while their dignity is respected.
The Commission’s move arose from its concerns about “widespread reports of obstetric violence across the continent, including physical, verbal, and psychological abuse, neglect, coercion, non-consensual medical procedures, unlawful detention of women post-delivery, and discrimination during childbirth and reproductive healthcare services, which disproportionately affect marginalised and vulnerable women”.
It has, therefore, directed the Working Group on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights in Africa and its Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Women in Africa to develop the Guidelines and present to the Commission for its consideration and adoption within the next two years.
The Commission, which is a quasi-judicial body charged with promoting and protecting human rights throughout the African continent; interpreting the provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights; and considering complaints of violations of the Charter, issued the directive in a resolution it adopted on March 11, 2025 at its 82nd Ordinary Session, held virtually, from February 25 to March 11.
In the Resolution ACHPR 625 of 2025, titled “Resolution on the need to Develop Guidelines on the Elimination of Obstetric Violence and Promotion of Maternal Healthcare in Africa”, the Commission stressed the “need to take urgent measures to combat and eliminate obstetric violence in healthcare settings to ensure that all women have access to, quality maternal and reproductive healthcare services in respect to their dignity.”
It noted that having regard to the fact that the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), and the African Union (AU) Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (CEVAWG), which collectively affirm the rights to health, non-discrimination, and dignity, it is evident that international and regional frameworks are aligned in their commitment to protecting and promoting the rights of women and girls.
These instruments, the Commission said, underscore the importance of addressing gender-based violence, ensuring equality, and safeguarding the well-being and dignity of all individuals.
It described obstetric violence as a form of gender based violence and discrimination, adding that it constitutes a violation of human rights, including the right to dignity, the right to freedom from torture, the right to health, and the right to life.