Obstetric and Gynecological Violence as Violence Against Women: Expanding the Concept Beyond Pregnancy and Childbirth

This study examines obstetric and gynecological violence as a form of violence against women that extends beyond pregnancy and childbirth, affecting contraception, family planning, and routine gynecological care in Colombia, a country marked by persistent gender inequalities and a fragmented, highly medicalized reproductive healthcare system. Guided by Johan Galtung's and Slavoj Žižek's theories of violence, it uses a mixed-methods design (document analysis, nationwide survey, and in-depth interviews) to identify direct, symbolic, and cultural violence embedded in medical practices and normalized through institutional routines and biopower. An intersectional lens reveals how socio-economic status and age shape access to respectful care. The study calls for rights-based, culturally sensitive healthcare training and further research to inform prevention strategies.