Shocking toll of maternity ward abuse

A landmark birthing survey reveals the scale of obstetric violence and its lasting physical and psychological consequences

- Sheree Bega

In South Africa, one of the most vulnerable and intimate experiences for women — childbirth — has become a site of systemic abuse.

A staggering 60% of individuals who have given birth in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng over the past decade have experienced some form of obstetric violence, according to the 2025 Extents and Nature of Obstetric Violence in South Africa survey by Embrace, The Movement for Mothers.

That figure represents roughly 1.79 million women and birthing people subjected to abuse during one of the most critical moments of their lives.

"The 1.79 million abused individuals represent a public health and human rights crisis. The normalisation of obstetric violence at these levels signals deep-rooted structural, cultural and institutional failings in maternal healthcare."

The findings reveal not just isolated misconduct but deep-rooted structural, cultural and institutional failures in the country's maternal healthcare system.

KwaZulu-Natal stands out with particularly high rates of abuse. Researchers link this to chronic resource constraints, weaker oversight in rural health facilities and the persistence of hierarchical, authoritarian models of care that leave patients disempowered.

Gauteng, despite being better resourced, demonstrates systemic failures across public and private facilities.

"It was a painful experience for me; I'd rather die than go back to that hospital. I even tried to escape because of the pain and the things they did to me. When I tried to leave, security took me back and shouted at me for escaping," recounted one survivor.

"There was this doctor who said I'm a dustbin and she cannot keep a dustbin in her hospital. They put a balloon to open my womb but it left me in pain and bleeding, which is why I even tried to escape."