Injustiça epistêmica nas narrativas de violência obstétrica

Abstract

This article analyzes epistemic injustice in the context of obstetric violence, based on Miranda Fricker’s theoretical framework. The aim is to demonstrate how the experiences of women subjected to abuse during childbirth are systematically silenced and invalidated by healthcare professionals and the justice system, due to gender stereotypes that undermine the credibility of their narratives. Methodologically, the study adopts a qualitative and theoretical-conceptual approach, with documentary and bibliographic analysis grounded in national and international normative frameworks, such as the case S.F.M. v. Spain, reviewed by the CEDAW Committee. The findings indicate that obstetric violence not only violates fundamental human rights, but also perpetuates a system of epistemic exclusion by denying women the status of knowers. Epistemic injustice is reinforced by institutional practices that deny qualified listening, ignore scientific evidence, and uphold the dominance of a hegemonic and authoritarian medical epistemology. The study concludes that confronting obstetric violence requires the recognition of women’s epistemic authority and the cultural transformation of health and justice institutions, through an intersectional and human rights-based perspective that acknowledges childbirth as a legitimate space of dignity, autonomy, and informed decision-making.