OGV is a serious issue faced by persons who give birth. Often such violence occurs when the victim is at their most vulnerable. While OGV has been soundly denounced, it has been the subject of very little academic study, and its very definition remains elusive. Professor Audrey Ferron Parayre, a specialist on legal issues in the medical field, is currently leading two new research projects that address the role of law in relation to OGV.
“The two projects we are conducting are complementary and enable us to explore how law can be both a formidable tool and an obstacle to the prevention and elimination of OGV,” explains Professor Ferron Parayre.
A project on upholding the human rights and dignity of women in the context or ob-gyn care
She and her team consider OGV to be behaviors or treatments – including those that are unintentional – that violate the dignity, safety, and freedom of patients because they are disrespectful, inappropriate, or degrading. She has recently earned a grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research for a project that places an emphasis on upholding the human rights and dignity of women in the context or ob-gyn care. The research team, which includes Professor Emmanuelle Bernheim from the Civil Law Section, is aiming to assess what knowledge women have of their rights in an ob-gyn care context, what knowledge caregivers have of these same rights, and how women’s expression of agency over their rights is received by their caregivers. The team is also interested in how women can be participants in the development of care protocols and clinical guidelines in ob-gyn care situations.
A Gender-Based Violence Research Initiative
With regard to the second project, Professor Ferron Parayre has been awarded a grant from the Gender-Based Violence Research Initiative for a project that looks at improving access to justice for victims of OGV. Alongside a second research team, which includes Professor Mariève Lacroix, co-investigator on the project, and Professor Vanessa Gruben of the Common Law Section, Professor Ferron Parayre seeks to explore the various formal remedies available to victims of OGV – from registering ethical complaints to professional organizations, to lodging formal criminal complaints. The team will study which remedies, if any, are truly effective. This study will assess how easily victims can access the various remedial paths available, and whether or not these paths provide a true sense of justice for victims. The project will ultimately aim to propose recommendations for improving current processes, as well as resources to educate both the public and professionals within the healthcare system.
“I think the law has to be part of the solution to countering OGV, but these problems can't be looked at in silos.”
Audrey Ferron Parayre
— Associate Professor, Civil Law Section
A hub for a global understanding of obstetrical and gynecological violence
Through this work, Professor Ferron Parayre aims to generate necessary and unprecedented knowledge on the implementation of women's rights in the context of obstetrical and gynecological violence, ultimately improving the quality and safety of perinatal health care.
“I think the law has to be part of the solution to countering OGV, but these problems can't be looked at in silos. Eventually, I'd like to be able to create a hub or laboratory at the University of Ottawa that would unite all of the relevant disciplines so that they can contribute their vision and expertise to a global understanding of OGV – and think about equally global solutions.”
Professor Parayre previously spoke about the issue of obstetrical and gynecological violence in a video on the Jurivision platform.
