The parliamentarians voted on six legislative proposals regarding the bill against obstetric violence, approved in March of this year, with four proposals being rejected—those from PSD, Chega, and two from PAN.
The two legislative proposals referred to the ninth committee, without voting, are from CDS-PP and Livre. On one hand, CDS-PP aims to revoke the law defining a legal framework for the concept of obstetric violence, while Livre seeks to retain the law and expand the concept of obstetric violence.
Only PSD voted against the discussion in the specialty without a vote on the legislative proposal from Livre.
This discussion stemmed from a legislative proposal submitted by CDS-PP in June suggesting the revocation of the law passed in March based on proposals from Bloco de Esquerda and PAN.
The second article of the law considers as obstetric violence the physical and verbal acts by healthcare professionals based on dehumanized behavior, excessive medicalization, or “pathologization of natural processes, disrespecting the protection regime,” from pre-conception to birth.
This law also allowed for the creation of a legal framework for episiotomy [a cut in the perineum to widen the birth canal], promoting its eradication as a routine practice, as recommended by the World Health Organization.
During the discussion held this morning, all parties agreed that the law should be debated in the specialty, with PSD and CDS standing alone in advocating for the elimination of the concept of obstetric violence.
The law approved in March resulted from two proposals by Bloco de Esquerda and PAN, with both parties now admitting the possibility of also discussing the concept of obstetric violence in specialty.
