In the past decade, I have been extensively researching the topic of obstetric violence as well practicing artivism related to maternity and childbirth, while engaging in community work as advocate for human rights in childbirth in Italy and internationally. In 2022, I have started a doctoral research at Queensland University of Technology, Faculty of Public Health and Social Work, on the topic of maternity care in disasters. Supervisors: Yvette Miller and Jo Durham
The present article analyzes the economic aspects of maternity care, proposing the maternal gift ... more The present article analyzes the economic aspects of maternity care, proposing the maternal gift economy theory as a possible framework for addressing the economic and structural causes of obstetric violence. In the current health economy, there is little room for love. Human attitudes such as caring, gentleness, kindness, compassion, empathy, and respect, recommended by the WHO and the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women for preventing and eradicating obstetric violence, are given no value within health systems. They are gifts that most of the time are unseen, exploited or ostracized. Both maternity care providers and users suffer from the lack of humanity when systems do not value their gift economy, particularly the one rooted in the maternal principles of unilateral giving. While we take for granted the economy we live in and we often find it useless or even dangerous to discuss its principles and practices, we cannot ignore the influence the economy has on the behavior of individuals and systems if we want to change them. This article adopts the perspective of mothers and service users, while acknowledging the health care providers. The point of view from the civil society provides a broader picture that is inclusive of ideas, visions and possibilities contributing to the improvement of the maternity care and calling for broader participation and inclusiveness within health systems. The reflection presented in this article is the result of more than ten years’ experience of evidence-based childbirth activism of the author and her colleagues in Italy and internationally. The article is published in English, with abstracts in English, Spanish, Catalan and Italian. Link to the publication: https://revistes.ub.edu/index.php/contextos/issue/view/2713
Nascere e mettere al mondo. Sguardi sociali e filosofico politici, Atti della Summer School (23-26.09.2020), 2020
Cit. Elena Skoko, "Attivismo evidence-based. Madri attiviste e diritti umani nella nascita in Ita... more Cit. Elena Skoko, "Attivismo evidence-based. Madri attiviste e diritti umani nella nascita in Italia (2009- 2020)", in Daniela Danna (a cura di), Nascere e mettere al mondo. Sguardi sociali e filosofico politici, Atti della Summer School (23-26.09.2020), Università del Salento, Lecce, 2020. e-ISBN: 978-88-8305-1692. Link: http://siba-ese.unisalento.it/index.php/nascere/issue/current
Giving life and maintaining it is the most obvious human productive activity but in our society, ... more Giving life and maintaining it is the most obvious human productive activity but in our society, based on labor (paid work), it is not valued. The maternal gift is excluded from official narratives and policies. This epistemic void has direct consequences on the society, and more directly inside maternity health care. The essay addresses the work of mother-activists on childbirth issues in Italy within the framework of the "maternal gift economy", as theorized by Genevieve Vaughan. Cit: Skoko, Elena, 2020, Gift Economy in Maternity and Childbirth in Italy. Mann, B. A., Miles, A., Molloy, Sh., Pilwha, Ch., Vaughan, G., (ed). Feminist Gift Economy. A Maternalist Alternative to Patriarchy and Capitalism. Canadian Woman Studies/les cahiers de la femme’s (CWS/cf), 34 (1,2), 91-97. A York University Publication. Inanna.
Childbirth is part of our women’s lives and it is one of the most transforming. It happens throug... more Childbirth is part of our women’s lives and it is one of the most transforming. It happens through the same love canal where we experience sexual pleasure, our yoni, and it is indeed a continuation of women’s sexual life in its full orgasmic potential. Today we have the science that proves the importance of modulated voice for the wellbeing of women, children, men, couples, communities and human species in general. The melodious maternal voice has a special effect on humans, as it is in the roots of our linguistic and social behaviour. Yet singing during childbirth has still to be properly addressed as a beneficial and powerful practice used by women and by traditional as well as medically trained midwives and ob-gyns inside maternity assistance nowadays. Until recent times women used to sing and dance during important moments of their social and individual lives, including childbirth. You don’t have to be a professional singer to sing while you’re having your baby. Spontaneous singing is part of our human nature and culture. Making peace with our own ancestors is the first step to remember and set our voice free in order to regain our dignity as childbearing women and mothers. Cit. Skoko, E., 2017, Singing Birth. From Your Voice to Your Yoni, Rose M.J., Ross L., Hartmann J. (ed). The Music of Motherhood: History, Healing, and Activism, 105-120, Demeter Press, ISBN: 9781772581348.
BACKGROUND: The most recent WHO recommendations “Intrapartum care for a positive childbirth exper... more BACKGROUND: The most recent WHO recommendations “Intrapartum care for a positive childbirth experience” highlight the need to identify women-centered interventions and outcomes for intrapartum care, and to include service users’ experiences and qualitative research into the assessment of maternity care. Babies Born Better (B3) is a trans-European survey designed to capture service user views and experiences of maternity care provision. Italian service users contributed to the survey. METHODS: The B3 Survey is an anonymous, mixed-method online survey, translated into 22 languages. We separated out the Italian responses and analyzed them using computer-assisted qualitative software (MAXQDA) and SPSS and STATA for quantitative data analysis. Simple descriptives were used for the numeric data, and content analysis for the qualitative responses. Geomapping was based on the coded qualitative data and postcodes (using Tableau Public). RESULTS: There were 1000 respondents from every region of Italy, using a range of places of birth (hospital, birth center, home) and experiencing care with both midwives and obstetricians. Most identified positive experiences of care, as well as some practices they would like to change. Both positive and critical comments included provision of care based on the type of providers, clinical procedures, the birth environment, and breastfeeding support. There were clear differences in the geomapped data across Italian regions. CONCLUSIONS: Mothers highly value respectful, skilled and loving care that gives them a strong sense of personal achievement and confidence, and birth environments that support this. There was distinct variation in the percentage of positive comments made across Italian regions. Cit: Skoko E, Ravaldi C, Vannacci A, Nespoli A,Akooji N,Balaam MC, Battisti A,Cericco M,Iannuzzi L, Morano S, Downe S, "Findings from the Italian Babies Born Better Survey", Minerva Ginecologica, 2018, Vol. 70, doi: 23736/S0026-4784.18.04296-X.
L’uso della voce in relazione alla maternità e nascita è innato e coltivato dagli esseri umani pe... more L’uso della voce in relazione alla maternità e nascita è innato e coltivato dagli esseri umani per decine di migliaia di anni. Oggi crescono le evidenze scientifiche sulla bontà del canto materno, una risorsa salutogenica per madri e per bambini, che riconoscono a reagiscono alla viva voce dalla madre maggiormente rispetto agli altri stimoli acustici, persino nel grembo. Nella rivista per ostetriche D&D, Elena Skoko parla del Singing Birth Workshop (www.singingbirth.com) e dei benefici dell'uso del canto nella maternità e nascita.
JMI Journal of the Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement, 2018
Ibone Olza is a Spanish mother activist, psychiatrist, and author involved in childbirth advocacy... more Ibone Olza is a Spanish mother activist, psychiatrist, and author involved in childbirth advocacy and research at the national and international level. In the present interview, she talks about her experiences within Spanish mothers’ movement, specifically in relation to the phenomenon and the concept of “obstetric violence”—a form of gender-based violence exercised on women within maternity healthcare. The interviewer Elena Skoko is a fellow mother activist operating in Italy. The conversation herein represents a milestone for the Italian mothers’ movement because it has influenced the use of the term “obstetric violence” in Italy, which has resulted in the creation of a new public awareness and a new national movement of mothers. Subscribers only https://jarm.journals.yorku.ca/index.php/jarm/article/view/40517 Cit Skoko, E., 2018, How Did You Do It? Shared Experiences of Birth Activism on the Issue of Obstetric Violence: Interview with Ibone Olza, Pregnancy, Childbirth and Post-Partum, Journal of the Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement, Fall/Winter, 9(2), 165-175.
Il Gruppo di Lavoro ad Alto Livello è stato istituito a maggio 2016 dall'OMS (Organizzazione Mond... more Il Gruppo di Lavoro ad Alto Livello è stato istituito a maggio 2016 dall'OMS (Organizzazione Mondiale della Sanità) e dell'Alto Comissariato per i Diritti Umani con l'obiettivo di fornire un supporto politico, nazionale ed internazionale per la realizzazione di misure di tutela dei diritti umani richieste dalla Strategia Globale per la salute delle donne, bambini e adolescenti. Alessandra Battisti ed Elena Skoko, in qualità di esponenti della società civile sui temi della maternità e nascita, hanno sottoposto, in via ufficiale, delle osservazioni sulla situazione della salute di madri e bambini in Italia, con particolare attenzione all'assistenza al parto. Citazione suggerita: Alessandra Battisti e Elena Skoko, "Un contributo critico. Input della Società Civile al Gruppo di Lavoro ad Alto Livello dell'OMS sulla salute e i diritti umani di donne, bambini e adolescenti", D&D, 103, Ottobre 2018, pp 66-67.
Resumo: Durante décadas, tem sido relatado o crescente e preocupante excesso de intervenções médi... more Resumo: Durante décadas, tem sido relatado o crescente e preocupante excesso de intervenções médicas durante o parto, mesmo em partos fisiológicos e sem complicações, juntamente com um aumento preocupante de práticas abusivas e desrespeitosas contra mulheres durante o parto em todo o mundo. Apesar das pesquisa e das políticas públicas que tratam destes problemas, mudar as práticas do parto provou-se uma tarefa difícil. Defendemos que as taxas excessivas de intervenções médicas e o desrespeito às mulheres durante o parto devem ser analisados como uma consequência da violência estrutural e que o conceito de violência obstétrica, tal como vem sendo utilizado no ativismo latino-americano e em documentos jurídicos, pode ser uma ferramenta útil para lidar com a violência estrutural na assistência à saúde materna, representada pelas altas taxas de intervenção, por tratamentos não consentidos, pelo desrespeito e por outras práticas abusivas. Palavras-chave: direitos humanos no parto, práticas não baseadas em evidências, medicalização, violência contra as mulheres, violência estrutural.
Sintesi della mission del network di ricerca COST Action Birth in occasione del meeting semestral... more Sintesi della mission del network di ricerca COST Action Birth in occasione del meeting semestrale tenutosi a Firenze, 9-11 Ottobre 2017. Cit: Elena Skoko, Onde progressiste, COST Action BIRTH a Firenze, 9-11 Ottobre 2017, D&D 100, SEAO, Firenze, 2017.
The society has an official story of birth that is endlessly repeated by institutional narratives... more The society has an official story of birth that is endlessly repeated by institutional narratives and mass media communication. We can call it a “dominant fabula”. Fabula is the story of hospital birth as a unique culturally appropriate option that a woman has at the moment she gives birth to her child. In a globally connected culture, the dominant fabula gained competitors and thousands of different expressions of maternal subjectivity in form of birth stories, started circulating undermining the credibility and the authority of the official scenario. Through wide spread birth storytelling women become conscious of the choices and they acknowledged their rights in childbirth. Until recently, nobody thought of systematic psychological and physical abuse of childbearing women as a violation of basic human rights. Thanks to the flow of information and narratives, birth is becoming a whole different story. (Conference paper, unpublished in English)
The present article is a discussion following the press release of the Italian Society of Neonato... more The present article is a discussion following the press release of the Italian Society of Neonatologists (SIN) on the practice of Lotus Birth. While SIN strongly discourages the practice, "banning" it from the Italian hospitals, the article analyses the inherent hidden intents, the content of the text, the lack of tangible argumentation and an inconsistent scientific and juridic perspective. Elena Skoko, SIN Significati Intrinseci Nascosti, D&D, n. 99, 2017, pp. 12-16.
Le radici materne dell'economia del dono, a cura di Genevieve Vaughan, Vanda ePublishing, Milano, 2017, pp. 221-230.
L’attività materna di dare vita e di mantenerla è l’attività produttiva umana più evidente ma nel... more L’attività materna di dare vita e di mantenerla è l’attività produttiva umana più evidente ma nella nostra società, fondata sul lavoro (salariato), non viene considerata e non le viene dato valore. Eppure, nessuno Stato ha ancora trovato modo per produrre lavoratori al di fuori dal grembo materno. L’economia femminista si è occupata di questo tema dagli anni ’70, calcolando che il lavoro riproduttivo e domestico (svolto in prevalenza dalle donne), occuperebbe il 40% del PIL (M. Waring). Le cure materne (che sono esercitate anche dai padri) vanno al di là di un semplice concetto di reddito, esse partecipano al benessere continuo sia degli individui che della società, esercitando di fatto un’economia del dono sulla quale poggiano tutte le altre attività. Il dono materno è invisibile, il suo stesso principio viene escluso dai “discorsi” ufficiali. È più facile considerare il linguaggio come eredità genetica che rendersi conto che la “lingua madre” è un dono trasmesso dalla madre nei primi anni di vita e attivamente ricevuto ed esercitato dal bambino, creando così un modello di comunicazione e di socializzazione (G. Vaughan). Questa assenza ha dirette conseguenze sulla società, sia dal punto di vista economico sia del benessere, influenzando il nostro rapporto con la terra e con l’ecosistema.
Elena Skoko, L'economia del dono nella maternità e nella nascita, in Le radici materne dell'economia del dono, a cura di Genevieve Vaughan, Vanda ePublishing, Milano, 2017, pp. 221-230.
Le madri peer to peer come risorsa del servizio pubblico, non solo nell'allattamento. Articolo pu... more Le madri peer to peer come risorsa del servizio pubblico, non solo nell'allattamento. Articolo pubblicato sulla rivista per ostetriche Donna & Donna, n.95/96, Dicembre 2016 - Gennaio 2017, pp. 45-51
Qual'è il ruolo del padre nella nascita? Una conversazione con l'Onorevole Zaccagnini, deputato a... more Qual'è il ruolo del padre nella nascita? Una conversazione con l'Onorevole Zaccagnini, deputato al Parlamento Italiano, e la sua compagna Mari Tiidus, madre di due figli.
Elena Skoko, Intervista all'Onorevole Adriano Zaccagnini e Mari Tiidus, D&D, N.90, 2015, pp 18-20.
Nel 2014 Human Rights in Childbirth in Italia ha promosso una petizione per l'autonomia delle ost... more Nel 2014 Human Rights in Childbirth in Italia ha promosso una petizione per l'autonomia delle ostetriche presso il Parlamento Europeo. La petizione denunciava il fatto che le ostetriche in Italia non potessero assistere le donne in gravidanza senza il certificato medico attestante una gravidanza normale, una pratica contraria alla Direttiva Europea 2005/36/EC sulle professioni sanitarie. In seguito alle continue pressioni da parte dei rappresentati delle ostetriche e della società civile, oggi in Italia la professione ostetrica è ufficialmente e legalmente autonoma. Le ostetriche possono assistere una donna nella gravidanza, parto, puerperio e durante tutta la sua vita riproduttiva. Il PDF contiene documenti originali in Italiano e Inglese. -- In 2014 Human Rights in Childbirth in Italy has promoted a petition to the European Parliament for the autonomy of midwives that could not practice unless the normal pregnancy was certified by a doctor, contrary to the European Directive 2005/36/EC on medical professions. The petition was accepted and forwarded to the European Commission. After continuous pressure actions from midwifery institutions and the civil society, today in Italy, midwifery is officially and legally an autonomous profession, where midwives are entitled to assist childbearing women during pregnancy, birth and post-partum, as well as during their whole reproductive life. The PDF file includes original documents in Italian and English.
Recommended citation: Elena Skoko and Alessandra Battisti, Petizione sulla autonomia delle Ostetriche in Italia accolta dal Parlamento Europeo, D&D, N. 92, Firenze, 2016, pp 6-7.
La pratica della maternità surrogata non ha soltanto suscitato questioni etiche, politiche e giur... more La pratica della maternità surrogata non ha soltanto suscitato questioni etiche, politiche e giuridiche non ancora risolte al livello internazionale, ma ha reso visibile delle relazioni di mercato grazie alle quali noi oggi possiamo calcolare il prezzo del lavoro di riproduzione e di cura svolto dalle madri. Elena Skoko, Il prezzo della maternità, D&D, n. 93, giugno 2016, pp 12-16.
http://www.rhm-elsevier.com/article/S0968-8080%2816%2930002-7/abstract
During recent decades, a g... more http://www.rhm-elsevier.com/article/S0968-8080%2816%2930002-7/abstract During recent decades, a growing and preoccupying excess of medical interventions during childbirth, even in physiological and uncomplicated births, together with a concerning spread of abusive and disrespectful practices towards women during childbirth across the world, have been reported. Despite research and policy-making to address these problems, changing childbirth practices has proved to be difficult. We argue that the excessive rates of medical interventions and disrespect towards women during childbirth should be analysed as a consequence of structural violence, and that the concept of obstetric violence, as it is being used in Latin American childbirth activism and legal documents, might prove to be a useful tool for addressing structural violence in maternity care such as high intervention rates, non-consented care, disrespect and other abusive practices
La scienza ginecologico-ostetrica di oggi ha escluso il piacere dal concepimento, dalla nascita e... more La scienza ginecologico-ostetrica di oggi ha escluso il piacere dal concepimento, dalla nascita e dal proprio ambito di azione. Eppure, fino ai primi anni del '900 le ostetriche (prima) e i ginecologi (dopo) praticavano i massaggi vaginali per il benessere delle loro assistite. Il presente articolo mette in risalto l'importanza della dignità della donna insita negli organi genitali femminili che richiedono attenzioni, cure amorevoli e pratiche gentili in funzione del benessere della donna stessa e, indirettamente, della società. Elena Skoko, Il massaggio della Yoni, D&D, N.91, 2016, pp 36-40.
Western culture has a specific answer to the question of where the children come from. We can cal... more Western culture has a specific answer to the question of where the children come from. We can call it a “dominant fabula”. It is the story of hospital birth as the only appropriate choice that a woman has at the moment when she gives birth to her child. In the dominant fabula a childbearing woman is described as a birthing machine who, managed by technology and hierarchically organized medical personnel that follows a legally and medically determined protocol, delivers the baby as a product. This type of industrial birth is not just a science-fiction story but a contemporary practice widely accepted by women who willingly go through it because they consider the fabula as the only culturally suitable option. However, at the moment when we all became part of a globally connected Internet culture, the dominant fabula gained competitors and thousands different stories of birth started circulating, bringing up more choices and undermining the credibility and the authority of the official scenario. In the European Union, the privacy and the sovereignty of childbearing women over their own bodies are considered basic human rights, and as such are defended trough the European Court of Human Rights. The modern culture of birth is changing.
The present article analyzes the economic aspects of maternity care, proposing the maternal gift ... more The present article analyzes the economic aspects of maternity care, proposing the maternal gift economy theory as a possible framework for addressing the economic and structural causes of obstetric violence. In the current health economy, there is little room for love. Human attitudes such as caring, gentleness, kindness, compassion, empathy, and respect, recommended by the WHO and the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women for preventing and eradicating obstetric violence, are given no value within health systems. They are gifts that most of the time are unseen, exploited or ostracized. Both maternity care providers and users suffer from the lack of humanity when systems do not value their gift economy, particularly the one rooted in the maternal principles of unilateral giving. While we take for granted the economy we live in and we often find it useless or even dangerous to discuss its principles and practices, we cannot ignore the influence the economy has on the behavior of individuals and systems if we want to change them. This article adopts the perspective of mothers and service users, while acknowledging the health care providers. The point of view from the civil society provides a broader picture that is inclusive of ideas, visions and possibilities contributing to the improvement of the maternity care and calling for broader participation and inclusiveness within health systems. The reflection presented in this article is the result of more than ten years’ experience of evidence-based childbirth activism of the author and her colleagues in Italy and internationally. The article is published in English, with abstracts in English, Spanish, Catalan and Italian. Link to the publication: https://revistes.ub.edu/index.php/contextos/issue/view/2713
Nascere e mettere al mondo. Sguardi sociali e filosofico politici, Atti della Summer School (23-26.09.2020), 2020
Cit. Elena Skoko, "Attivismo evidence-based. Madri attiviste e diritti umani nella nascita in Ita... more Cit. Elena Skoko, "Attivismo evidence-based. Madri attiviste e diritti umani nella nascita in Italia (2009- 2020)", in Daniela Danna (a cura di), Nascere e mettere al mondo. Sguardi sociali e filosofico politici, Atti della Summer School (23-26.09.2020), Università del Salento, Lecce, 2020. e-ISBN: 978-88-8305-1692. Link: http://siba-ese.unisalento.it/index.php/nascere/issue/current
Giving life and maintaining it is the most obvious human productive activity but in our society, ... more Giving life and maintaining it is the most obvious human productive activity but in our society, based on labor (paid work), it is not valued. The maternal gift is excluded from official narratives and policies. This epistemic void has direct consequences on the society, and more directly inside maternity health care. The essay addresses the work of mother-activists on childbirth issues in Italy within the framework of the "maternal gift economy", as theorized by Genevieve Vaughan. Cit: Skoko, Elena, 2020, Gift Economy in Maternity and Childbirth in Italy. Mann, B. A., Miles, A., Molloy, Sh., Pilwha, Ch., Vaughan, G., (ed). Feminist Gift Economy. A Maternalist Alternative to Patriarchy and Capitalism. Canadian Woman Studies/les cahiers de la femme’s (CWS/cf), 34 (1,2), 91-97. A York University Publication. Inanna.
Childbirth is part of our women’s lives and it is one of the most transforming. It happens throug... more Childbirth is part of our women’s lives and it is one of the most transforming. It happens through the same love canal where we experience sexual pleasure, our yoni, and it is indeed a continuation of women’s sexual life in its full orgasmic potential. Today we have the science that proves the importance of modulated voice for the wellbeing of women, children, men, couples, communities and human species in general. The melodious maternal voice has a special effect on humans, as it is in the roots of our linguistic and social behaviour. Yet singing during childbirth has still to be properly addressed as a beneficial and powerful practice used by women and by traditional as well as medically trained midwives and ob-gyns inside maternity assistance nowadays. Until recent times women used to sing and dance during important moments of their social and individual lives, including childbirth. You don’t have to be a professional singer to sing while you’re having your baby. Spontaneous singing is part of our human nature and culture. Making peace with our own ancestors is the first step to remember and set our voice free in order to regain our dignity as childbearing women and mothers. Cit. Skoko, E., 2017, Singing Birth. From Your Voice to Your Yoni, Rose M.J., Ross L., Hartmann J. (ed). The Music of Motherhood: History, Healing, and Activism, 105-120, Demeter Press, ISBN: 9781772581348.
BACKGROUND: The most recent WHO recommendations “Intrapartum care for a positive childbirth exper... more BACKGROUND: The most recent WHO recommendations “Intrapartum care for a positive childbirth experience” highlight the need to identify women-centered interventions and outcomes for intrapartum care, and to include service users’ experiences and qualitative research into the assessment of maternity care. Babies Born Better (B3) is a trans-European survey designed to capture service user views and experiences of maternity care provision. Italian service users contributed to the survey. METHODS: The B3 Survey is an anonymous, mixed-method online survey, translated into 22 languages. We separated out the Italian responses and analyzed them using computer-assisted qualitative software (MAXQDA) and SPSS and STATA for quantitative data analysis. Simple descriptives were used for the numeric data, and content analysis for the qualitative responses. Geomapping was based on the coded qualitative data and postcodes (using Tableau Public). RESULTS: There were 1000 respondents from every region of Italy, using a range of places of birth (hospital, birth center, home) and experiencing care with both midwives and obstetricians. Most identified positive experiences of care, as well as some practices they would like to change. Both positive and critical comments included provision of care based on the type of providers, clinical procedures, the birth environment, and breastfeeding support. There were clear differences in the geomapped data across Italian regions. CONCLUSIONS: Mothers highly value respectful, skilled and loving care that gives them a strong sense of personal achievement and confidence, and birth environments that support this. There was distinct variation in the percentage of positive comments made across Italian regions. Cit: Skoko E, Ravaldi C, Vannacci A, Nespoli A,Akooji N,Balaam MC, Battisti A,Cericco M,Iannuzzi L, Morano S, Downe S, "Findings from the Italian Babies Born Better Survey", Minerva Ginecologica, 2018, Vol. 70, doi: 23736/S0026-4784.18.04296-X.
L’uso della voce in relazione alla maternità e nascita è innato e coltivato dagli esseri umani pe... more L’uso della voce in relazione alla maternità e nascita è innato e coltivato dagli esseri umani per decine di migliaia di anni. Oggi crescono le evidenze scientifiche sulla bontà del canto materno, una risorsa salutogenica per madri e per bambini, che riconoscono a reagiscono alla viva voce dalla madre maggiormente rispetto agli altri stimoli acustici, persino nel grembo. Nella rivista per ostetriche D&D, Elena Skoko parla del Singing Birth Workshop (www.singingbirth.com) e dei benefici dell'uso del canto nella maternità e nascita.
JMI Journal of the Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement, 2018
Ibone Olza is a Spanish mother activist, psychiatrist, and author involved in childbirth advocacy... more Ibone Olza is a Spanish mother activist, psychiatrist, and author involved in childbirth advocacy and research at the national and international level. In the present interview, she talks about her experiences within Spanish mothers’ movement, specifically in relation to the phenomenon and the concept of “obstetric violence”—a form of gender-based violence exercised on women within maternity healthcare. The interviewer Elena Skoko is a fellow mother activist operating in Italy. The conversation herein represents a milestone for the Italian mothers’ movement because it has influenced the use of the term “obstetric violence” in Italy, which has resulted in the creation of a new public awareness and a new national movement of mothers. Subscribers only https://jarm.journals.yorku.ca/index.php/jarm/article/view/40517 Cit Skoko, E., 2018, How Did You Do It? Shared Experiences of Birth Activism on the Issue of Obstetric Violence: Interview with Ibone Olza, Pregnancy, Childbirth and Post-Partum, Journal of the Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement, Fall/Winter, 9(2), 165-175.
Il Gruppo di Lavoro ad Alto Livello è stato istituito a maggio 2016 dall'OMS (Organizzazione Mond... more Il Gruppo di Lavoro ad Alto Livello è stato istituito a maggio 2016 dall'OMS (Organizzazione Mondiale della Sanità) e dell'Alto Comissariato per i Diritti Umani con l'obiettivo di fornire un supporto politico, nazionale ed internazionale per la realizzazione di misure di tutela dei diritti umani richieste dalla Strategia Globale per la salute delle donne, bambini e adolescenti. Alessandra Battisti ed Elena Skoko, in qualità di esponenti della società civile sui temi della maternità e nascita, hanno sottoposto, in via ufficiale, delle osservazioni sulla situazione della salute di madri e bambini in Italia, con particolare attenzione all'assistenza al parto. Citazione suggerita: Alessandra Battisti e Elena Skoko, "Un contributo critico. Input della Società Civile al Gruppo di Lavoro ad Alto Livello dell'OMS sulla salute e i diritti umani di donne, bambini e adolescenti", D&D, 103, Ottobre 2018, pp 66-67.
Resumo: Durante décadas, tem sido relatado o crescente e preocupante excesso de intervenções médi... more Resumo: Durante décadas, tem sido relatado o crescente e preocupante excesso de intervenções médicas durante o parto, mesmo em partos fisiológicos e sem complicações, juntamente com um aumento preocupante de práticas abusivas e desrespeitosas contra mulheres durante o parto em todo o mundo. Apesar das pesquisa e das políticas públicas que tratam destes problemas, mudar as práticas do parto provou-se uma tarefa difícil. Defendemos que as taxas excessivas de intervenções médicas e o desrespeito às mulheres durante o parto devem ser analisados como uma consequência da violência estrutural e que o conceito de violência obstétrica, tal como vem sendo utilizado no ativismo latino-americano e em documentos jurídicos, pode ser uma ferramenta útil para lidar com a violência estrutural na assistência à saúde materna, representada pelas altas taxas de intervenção, por tratamentos não consentidos, pelo desrespeito e por outras práticas abusivas. Palavras-chave: direitos humanos no parto, práticas não baseadas em evidências, medicalização, violência contra as mulheres, violência estrutural.
Sintesi della mission del network di ricerca COST Action Birth in occasione del meeting semestral... more Sintesi della mission del network di ricerca COST Action Birth in occasione del meeting semestrale tenutosi a Firenze, 9-11 Ottobre 2017. Cit: Elena Skoko, Onde progressiste, COST Action BIRTH a Firenze, 9-11 Ottobre 2017, D&D 100, SEAO, Firenze, 2017.
The society has an official story of birth that is endlessly repeated by institutional narratives... more The society has an official story of birth that is endlessly repeated by institutional narratives and mass media communication. We can call it a “dominant fabula”. Fabula is the story of hospital birth as a unique culturally appropriate option that a woman has at the moment she gives birth to her child. In a globally connected culture, the dominant fabula gained competitors and thousands of different expressions of maternal subjectivity in form of birth stories, started circulating undermining the credibility and the authority of the official scenario. Through wide spread birth storytelling women become conscious of the choices and they acknowledged their rights in childbirth. Until recently, nobody thought of systematic psychological and physical abuse of childbearing women as a violation of basic human rights. Thanks to the flow of information and narratives, birth is becoming a whole different story. (Conference paper, unpublished in English)
The present article is a discussion following the press release of the Italian Society of Neonato... more The present article is a discussion following the press release of the Italian Society of Neonatologists (SIN) on the practice of Lotus Birth. While SIN strongly discourages the practice, "banning" it from the Italian hospitals, the article analyses the inherent hidden intents, the content of the text, the lack of tangible argumentation and an inconsistent scientific and juridic perspective. Elena Skoko, SIN Significati Intrinseci Nascosti, D&D, n. 99, 2017, pp. 12-16.
Le radici materne dell'economia del dono, a cura di Genevieve Vaughan, Vanda ePublishing, Milano, 2017, pp. 221-230.
L’attività materna di dare vita e di mantenerla è l’attività produttiva umana più evidente ma nel... more L’attività materna di dare vita e di mantenerla è l’attività produttiva umana più evidente ma nella nostra società, fondata sul lavoro (salariato), non viene considerata e non le viene dato valore. Eppure, nessuno Stato ha ancora trovato modo per produrre lavoratori al di fuori dal grembo materno. L’economia femminista si è occupata di questo tema dagli anni ’70, calcolando che il lavoro riproduttivo e domestico (svolto in prevalenza dalle donne), occuperebbe il 40% del PIL (M. Waring). Le cure materne (che sono esercitate anche dai padri) vanno al di là di un semplice concetto di reddito, esse partecipano al benessere continuo sia degli individui che della società, esercitando di fatto un’economia del dono sulla quale poggiano tutte le altre attività. Il dono materno è invisibile, il suo stesso principio viene escluso dai “discorsi” ufficiali. È più facile considerare il linguaggio come eredità genetica che rendersi conto che la “lingua madre” è un dono trasmesso dalla madre nei primi anni di vita e attivamente ricevuto ed esercitato dal bambino, creando così un modello di comunicazione e di socializzazione (G. Vaughan). Questa assenza ha dirette conseguenze sulla società, sia dal punto di vista economico sia del benessere, influenzando il nostro rapporto con la terra e con l’ecosistema.
Elena Skoko, L'economia del dono nella maternità e nella nascita, in Le radici materne dell'economia del dono, a cura di Genevieve Vaughan, Vanda ePublishing, Milano, 2017, pp. 221-230.
Le madri peer to peer come risorsa del servizio pubblico, non solo nell'allattamento. Articolo pu... more Le madri peer to peer come risorsa del servizio pubblico, non solo nell'allattamento. Articolo pubblicato sulla rivista per ostetriche Donna & Donna, n.95/96, Dicembre 2016 - Gennaio 2017, pp. 45-51
Qual'è il ruolo del padre nella nascita? Una conversazione con l'Onorevole Zaccagnini, deputato a... more Qual'è il ruolo del padre nella nascita? Una conversazione con l'Onorevole Zaccagnini, deputato al Parlamento Italiano, e la sua compagna Mari Tiidus, madre di due figli.
Elena Skoko, Intervista all'Onorevole Adriano Zaccagnini e Mari Tiidus, D&D, N.90, 2015, pp 18-20.
Nel 2014 Human Rights in Childbirth in Italia ha promosso una petizione per l'autonomia delle ost... more Nel 2014 Human Rights in Childbirth in Italia ha promosso una petizione per l'autonomia delle ostetriche presso il Parlamento Europeo. La petizione denunciava il fatto che le ostetriche in Italia non potessero assistere le donne in gravidanza senza il certificato medico attestante una gravidanza normale, una pratica contraria alla Direttiva Europea 2005/36/EC sulle professioni sanitarie. In seguito alle continue pressioni da parte dei rappresentati delle ostetriche e della società civile, oggi in Italia la professione ostetrica è ufficialmente e legalmente autonoma. Le ostetriche possono assistere una donna nella gravidanza, parto, puerperio e durante tutta la sua vita riproduttiva. Il PDF contiene documenti originali in Italiano e Inglese. -- In 2014 Human Rights in Childbirth in Italy has promoted a petition to the European Parliament for the autonomy of midwives that could not practice unless the normal pregnancy was certified by a doctor, contrary to the European Directive 2005/36/EC on medical professions. The petition was accepted and forwarded to the European Commission. After continuous pressure actions from midwifery institutions and the civil society, today in Italy, midwifery is officially and legally an autonomous profession, where midwives are entitled to assist childbearing women during pregnancy, birth and post-partum, as well as during their whole reproductive life. The PDF file includes original documents in Italian and English.
Recommended citation: Elena Skoko and Alessandra Battisti, Petizione sulla autonomia delle Ostetriche in Italia accolta dal Parlamento Europeo, D&D, N. 92, Firenze, 2016, pp 6-7.
La pratica della maternità surrogata non ha soltanto suscitato questioni etiche, politiche e giur... more La pratica della maternità surrogata non ha soltanto suscitato questioni etiche, politiche e giuridiche non ancora risolte al livello internazionale, ma ha reso visibile delle relazioni di mercato grazie alle quali noi oggi possiamo calcolare il prezzo del lavoro di riproduzione e di cura svolto dalle madri. Elena Skoko, Il prezzo della maternità, D&D, n. 93, giugno 2016, pp 12-16.
http://www.rhm-elsevier.com/article/S0968-8080%2816%2930002-7/abstract
During recent decades, a g... more http://www.rhm-elsevier.com/article/S0968-8080%2816%2930002-7/abstract During recent decades, a growing and preoccupying excess of medical interventions during childbirth, even in physiological and uncomplicated births, together with a concerning spread of abusive and disrespectful practices towards women during childbirth across the world, have been reported. Despite research and policy-making to address these problems, changing childbirth practices has proved to be difficult. We argue that the excessive rates of medical interventions and disrespect towards women during childbirth should be analysed as a consequence of structural violence, and that the concept of obstetric violence, as it is being used in Latin American childbirth activism and legal documents, might prove to be a useful tool for addressing structural violence in maternity care such as high intervention rates, non-consented care, disrespect and other abusive practices
La scienza ginecologico-ostetrica di oggi ha escluso il piacere dal concepimento, dalla nascita e... more La scienza ginecologico-ostetrica di oggi ha escluso il piacere dal concepimento, dalla nascita e dal proprio ambito di azione. Eppure, fino ai primi anni del '900 le ostetriche (prima) e i ginecologi (dopo) praticavano i massaggi vaginali per il benessere delle loro assistite. Il presente articolo mette in risalto l'importanza della dignità della donna insita negli organi genitali femminili che richiedono attenzioni, cure amorevoli e pratiche gentili in funzione del benessere della donna stessa e, indirettamente, della società. Elena Skoko, Il massaggio della Yoni, D&D, N.91, 2016, pp 36-40.
Western culture has a specific answer to the question of where the children come from. We can cal... more Western culture has a specific answer to the question of where the children come from. We can call it a “dominant fabula”. It is the story of hospital birth as the only appropriate choice that a woman has at the moment when she gives birth to her child. In the dominant fabula a childbearing woman is described as a birthing machine who, managed by technology and hierarchically organized medical personnel that follows a legally and medically determined protocol, delivers the baby as a product. This type of industrial birth is not just a science-fiction story but a contemporary practice widely accepted by women who willingly go through it because they consider the fabula as the only culturally suitable option. However, at the moment when we all became part of a globally connected Internet culture, the dominant fabula gained competitors and thousands different stories of birth started circulating, bringing up more choices and undermining the credibility and the authority of the official scenario. In the European Union, the privacy and the sovereignty of childbearing women over their own bodies are considered basic human rights, and as such are defended trough the European Court of Human Rights. The modern culture of birth is changing.
Dopo due mesi dalla chiusura della campagna #bastatacere, dove è emerso il fenomeno della violenz... more Dopo due mesi dalla chiusura della campagna #bastatacere, dove è emerso il fenomeno della violenza ostetrica in Italia, abbiamo predisposto un promemoria dell’iniziativa, il “#bastatacere REPORT“.
Si tratta di un riassunto della campagna in formato PDF che potete stampare, diffondere e condividere con persone e istituzioni per sensibilizzare la vostra comunità e la società nei confronti del fenomeno della violenza ostetrica.
Noi abbiamo fatto del nostro meglio per dare l’opportunità alle madri (e padri, figlie, figli, operatori) di raccontarsi in modo protetto. Stiamo continuando a raccogliere le testimonianze tramite QuestOVO, un questionario dove potete condividere le vostre esperienze.
Adesso tocca a voi. Il cambiamento è possibile soltanto con il coinvolgimento di tutte e di tutti.
The Music of Motherhood: History, Healing, and Activism, Demeter Press, 2018
Childbirth is part of our women’s lives and it is one of the most transforming. It happens throug... more Childbirth is part of our women’s lives and it is one of the most transforming. It happens through the same love canal where we experience sexual pleasure, our yoni, and it is indeed a continuation of women’s sexual life in its full orgasmic potential. Today we have the science that proves the importance of modulated voice for the wellbeing of women, children, men, couples, communities and human species in general. The melodious maternal voice has a special effect on humans, as it is in the roots of our linguistic and social behaviour. Yet singing during childbirth has still to be properly addressed as a beneficial and powerful practice used by women and by traditional as well as medically trained midwives and ob-gyns inside maternity assistance nowadays. Until recent times women used to sing and dance during important moments of their social and individual lives, including childbirth. You don’t have to be a professional singer to sing while you’re having your baby. Spontaneous singing is part of our human nature and culture. Making peace with our own ancestors is the first step to remember and set our voice free in order to regain our dignity as childbearing women and mothers. Elena Skoko (Croatia/Italy) is a mother, singer, researcher and advocate for human rights in childbirth. As founder of Singing Birth Workshops (www.singingbirth.com), she encourages women to use they voice and creative power, especially in childbirth and motherhood. She is a songwriter and front woman in Bluebird & Skoko blues band. Buy book here: http://demeterpress.org/books/the-music-of-motherhood-history-healing-and-activism/
"The Iron Maiden" is a collection of poems written and performed by Elena Skoko aka Sugar Babe be... more "The Iron Maiden" is a collection of poems written and performed by Elena Skoko aka Sugar Babe between 2000 and 2007. Most of them were intended for the spoken word or multimedia projections, as part of her live performances (OphLove, Proleter-K, 2B1C) or of single and private acts. Passion, anger, revolt and vulnerability are ritualized through words that manifest themselves in different languages as Elena moves her life through countries, cultures and lovers. Her communist upbringing, dating back from the former Yugoslavia, reflects her vision of the world in form of a broken mirror. Her inability to fit in and merge with the commodified life makes her find her way as part of the European urban cultural proletariat and its communities, where she lives until she moves to Bali. But that's another story. Available here: http://www.lulu.com/shop/elena-skoko/the-iron-maiden-a-collection-of-kicking-poetry/paperback/product-22562376.html
Romantico, informato e appassionante, questo libro cambierà la vostra percezione della nascita.
... more Romantico, informato e appassionante, questo libro cambierà la vostra percezione della nascita. Un racconto intimo dove la gravidanza e il parto vengono visti come un potente rito di iniziazione e un'esperienza sensuale. Una testimonianza che descrive come il dolore possa essere trasformato in canto. Una ricerca esotica, che vi porterà sull’isola di Bali e tra le sue tradizioni, attraversando scenari del parto nel mondo occidentale, e culminando nell'amicizia con l'ostetrica e poetessa Ibu Robin Lim. Nel libro viene descritta in dettaglio la pratica del "lotus birth", l’astensione dal taglio del cordone ombelicale. Scritto in modo semplice e diretto, si legge in una notte e fa sognare. Disponibile qui: http://www.phasar.net/catalogo/libro/memorie-di-un-parto-cantato-una-nascita-gentile-con-ibu-robin-lim
Singer and artist Elena Skoko shares her life, thoughts and discoveries on the path to motherhood... more Singer and artist Elena Skoko shares her life, thoughts and discoveries on the path to motherhood that takes her from Croatia to Rome, from Rome to Bali in search of the perfect birth. Memoirs of a Singing Birth is a story of a personal quest for natural birth that ends up in a rural village in the heart of the island of Gods with the help of “guerrilla midwife” Ibu Robin Lim. While giving birth, this rock'n'roll woman sang! You will find out how she succeeds to overcome the labor pains by using her voice. The book describes in detail the practice of lotus birth. Above all, this is a magic love story about a woman, a man and their child. Part of the proceeds from the sale of the book will be donated to Yayasan Bumi Sehat, a non-profit natural birth center in Bali. Available here: http://www.lulu.com/shop/elena-skoko/memoirs-of-a-singing-birth/paperback/product-20228236.html
Uploads
Papers by Elena Skoko
The article is published in English, with abstracts in English, Spanish, Catalan and Italian.
Link to the publication: https://revistes.ub.edu/index.php/contextos/issue/view/2713
Cit:
Skoko, Elena, 2020, Gift Economy in Maternity and Childbirth in Italy. Mann, B. A., Miles, A., Molloy, Sh., Pilwha, Ch., Vaughan, G., (ed). Feminist Gift Economy. A Maternalist Alternative to Patriarchy and Capitalism. Canadian Woman Studies/les cahiers de la femme’s (CWS/cf), 34 (1,2), 91-97. A York University Publication. Inanna.
Cit.
Skoko, E., 2017, Singing Birth. From Your Voice to Your Yoni, Rose M.J., Ross L., Hartmann J. (ed). The Music of Motherhood: History, Healing, and Activism, 105-120, Demeter Press, ISBN: 9781772581348.
METHODS: The B3 Survey is an anonymous, mixed-method online survey, translated into 22 languages. We separated out the Italian responses and analyzed them using computer-assisted qualitative software (MAXQDA) and SPSS and STATA for quantitative data analysis. Simple descriptives were used for the numeric data, and content analysis for the qualitative responses. Geomapping was based on the coded qualitative data and postcodes (using Tableau Public).
RESULTS: There were 1000 respondents from every region of Italy, using a range of places of birth (hospital, birth center, home) and experiencing care with both midwives and obstetricians. Most identified positive experiences of care, as well as some practices they would like to change. Both positive and critical comments included provision of care based on the type of providers, clinical procedures, the birth environment, and breastfeeding support. There were clear differences in the geomapped data across Italian regions.
CONCLUSIONS: Mothers highly value respectful, skilled and loving care that gives them a strong sense of personal achievement and confidence, and birth environments that support this. There was distinct variation in the percentage of positive comments made across Italian regions. Cit: Skoko E, Ravaldi C, Vannacci A, Nespoli A,Akooji N,Balaam MC, Battisti A,Cericco M,Iannuzzi L, Morano S, Downe S, "Findings from the Italian Babies Born Better Survey", Minerva Ginecologica, 2018, Vol. 70, doi: 23736/S0026-4784.18.04296-X.
Subscribers only
https://jarm.journals.yorku.ca/index.php/jarm/article/view/40517
Cit
Skoko, E., 2018, How Did You Do It? Shared Experiences of Birth Activism on the Issue of Obstetric Violence: Interview with Ibone Olza, Pregnancy, Childbirth and Post-Partum, Journal of the Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement, Fall/Winter, 9(2), 165-175.
Citazione suggerita: Alessandra Battisti e Elena Skoko, "Un contributo critico. Input della Società Civile al Gruppo di Lavoro ad Alto Livello dell'OMS sulla salute e i diritti umani di donne, bambini e adolescenti", D&D, 103, Ottobre 2018, pp 66-67.
Cit: Elena Skoko, Onde progressiste, COST Action BIRTH a Firenze, 9-11 Ottobre 2017, D&D 100, SEAO, Firenze, 2017.
Elena Skoko, L'economia del dono nella maternità e nella nascita, in Le radici materne dell'economia del dono, a cura di Genevieve Vaughan, Vanda ePublishing, Milano, 2017, pp. 221-230.
Elena Skoko, Intervista all'Onorevole Adriano Zaccagnini e Mari Tiidus, D&D, N.90, 2015, pp 18-20.
--
In 2014 Human Rights in Childbirth in Italy has promoted a petition to the European Parliament for the autonomy of midwives that could not practice unless the normal pregnancy was certified by a doctor, contrary to the European Directive 2005/36/EC on medical professions. The petition was accepted and forwarded to the European Commission. After continuous pressure actions from midwifery institutions and the civil society, today in Italy, midwifery is officially and legally an autonomous profession, where midwives are entitled to assist childbearing women during pregnancy, birth and post-partum, as well as during their whole reproductive life. The PDF file includes original documents in Italian and English.
Recommended citation:
Elena Skoko and Alessandra Battisti, Petizione sulla autonomia delle Ostetriche in Italia accolta dal Parlamento Europeo, D&D, N. 92, Firenze, 2016, pp 6-7.
During recent decades, a growing and preoccupying excess of medical interventions during childbirth, even in physiological and uncomplicated births, together with a concerning spread of abusive and disrespectful practices towards women during childbirth across the world, have been reported. Despite research and policy-making to address these problems, changing childbirth practices has proved to be difficult. We argue that the excessive rates of medical interventions and disrespect towards women during childbirth should be analysed as a consequence of structural violence, and that the concept of obstetric violence, as it is being used in Latin American childbirth activism and legal documents, might prove to be a useful tool for addressing structural violence in maternity care such as high intervention rates, non-consented care, disrespect and other abusive practices
The article is published in English, with abstracts in English, Spanish, Catalan and Italian.
Link to the publication: https://revistes.ub.edu/index.php/contextos/issue/view/2713
Cit:
Skoko, Elena, 2020, Gift Economy in Maternity and Childbirth in Italy. Mann, B. A., Miles, A., Molloy, Sh., Pilwha, Ch., Vaughan, G., (ed). Feminist Gift Economy. A Maternalist Alternative to Patriarchy and Capitalism. Canadian Woman Studies/les cahiers de la femme’s (CWS/cf), 34 (1,2), 91-97. A York University Publication. Inanna.
Cit.
Skoko, E., 2017, Singing Birth. From Your Voice to Your Yoni, Rose M.J., Ross L., Hartmann J. (ed). The Music of Motherhood: History, Healing, and Activism, 105-120, Demeter Press, ISBN: 9781772581348.
METHODS: The B3 Survey is an anonymous, mixed-method online survey, translated into 22 languages. We separated out the Italian responses and analyzed them using computer-assisted qualitative software (MAXQDA) and SPSS and STATA for quantitative data analysis. Simple descriptives were used for the numeric data, and content analysis for the qualitative responses. Geomapping was based on the coded qualitative data and postcodes (using Tableau Public).
RESULTS: There were 1000 respondents from every region of Italy, using a range of places of birth (hospital, birth center, home) and experiencing care with both midwives and obstetricians. Most identified positive experiences of care, as well as some practices they would like to change. Both positive and critical comments included provision of care based on the type of providers, clinical procedures, the birth environment, and breastfeeding support. There were clear differences in the geomapped data across Italian regions.
CONCLUSIONS: Mothers highly value respectful, skilled and loving care that gives them a strong sense of personal achievement and confidence, and birth environments that support this. There was distinct variation in the percentage of positive comments made across Italian regions. Cit: Skoko E, Ravaldi C, Vannacci A, Nespoli A,Akooji N,Balaam MC, Battisti A,Cericco M,Iannuzzi L, Morano S, Downe S, "Findings from the Italian Babies Born Better Survey", Minerva Ginecologica, 2018, Vol. 70, doi: 23736/S0026-4784.18.04296-X.
Subscribers only
https://jarm.journals.yorku.ca/index.php/jarm/article/view/40517
Cit
Skoko, E., 2018, How Did You Do It? Shared Experiences of Birth Activism on the Issue of Obstetric Violence: Interview with Ibone Olza, Pregnancy, Childbirth and Post-Partum, Journal of the Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement, Fall/Winter, 9(2), 165-175.
Citazione suggerita: Alessandra Battisti e Elena Skoko, "Un contributo critico. Input della Società Civile al Gruppo di Lavoro ad Alto Livello dell'OMS sulla salute e i diritti umani di donne, bambini e adolescenti", D&D, 103, Ottobre 2018, pp 66-67.
Cit: Elena Skoko, Onde progressiste, COST Action BIRTH a Firenze, 9-11 Ottobre 2017, D&D 100, SEAO, Firenze, 2017.
Elena Skoko, L'economia del dono nella maternità e nella nascita, in Le radici materne dell'economia del dono, a cura di Genevieve Vaughan, Vanda ePublishing, Milano, 2017, pp. 221-230.
Elena Skoko, Intervista all'Onorevole Adriano Zaccagnini e Mari Tiidus, D&D, N.90, 2015, pp 18-20.
--
In 2014 Human Rights in Childbirth in Italy has promoted a petition to the European Parliament for the autonomy of midwives that could not practice unless the normal pregnancy was certified by a doctor, contrary to the European Directive 2005/36/EC on medical professions. The petition was accepted and forwarded to the European Commission. After continuous pressure actions from midwifery institutions and the civil society, today in Italy, midwifery is officially and legally an autonomous profession, where midwives are entitled to assist childbearing women during pregnancy, birth and post-partum, as well as during their whole reproductive life. The PDF file includes original documents in Italian and English.
Recommended citation:
Elena Skoko and Alessandra Battisti, Petizione sulla autonomia delle Ostetriche in Italia accolta dal Parlamento Europeo, D&D, N. 92, Firenze, 2016, pp 6-7.
During recent decades, a growing and preoccupying excess of medical interventions during childbirth, even in physiological and uncomplicated births, together with a concerning spread of abusive and disrespectful practices towards women during childbirth across the world, have been reported. Despite research and policy-making to address these problems, changing childbirth practices has proved to be difficult. We argue that the excessive rates of medical interventions and disrespect towards women during childbirth should be analysed as a consequence of structural violence, and that the concept of obstetric violence, as it is being used in Latin American childbirth activism and legal documents, might prove to be a useful tool for addressing structural violence in maternity care such as high intervention rates, non-consented care, disrespect and other abusive practices
Si tratta di un riassunto della campagna in formato PDF che potete stampare, diffondere e condividere con persone e istituzioni per sensibilizzare la vostra comunità e la società nei confronti del fenomeno della violenza ostetrica.
Noi abbiamo fatto del nostro meglio per dare l’opportunità alle madri (e padri, figlie, figli, operatori) di raccontarsi in modo protetto. Stiamo continuando a raccogliere le testimonianze tramite QuestOVO, un questionario dove potete condividere le vostre esperienze.
Adesso tocca a voi. Il cambiamento è possibile soltanto con il coinvolgimento di tutte e di tutti.
Elena Skoko (Croatia/Italy) is a mother, singer, researcher and advocate for human rights in childbirth. As founder of Singing Birth Workshops (www.singingbirth.com), she encourages women to use they voice and creative power, especially in childbirth and motherhood. She is a songwriter and front woman in Bluebird & Skoko blues band.
Buy book here: http://demeterpress.org/books/the-music-of-motherhood-history-healing-and-activism/
Un racconto intimo dove la gravidanza e il parto vengono visti come un potente rito di iniziazione e un'esperienza sensuale. Una testimonianza che descrive come il dolore possa essere trasformato in canto. Una ricerca esotica, che vi porterà sull’isola di Bali e tra le sue tradizioni, attraversando scenari del parto nel mondo occidentale, e culminando nell'amicizia con l'ostetrica e poetessa Ibu Robin Lim. Nel libro viene descritta in dettaglio la pratica del "lotus birth", l’astensione dal taglio del cordone ombelicale. Scritto in modo semplice e diretto, si legge in una notte e fa sognare. Disponibile qui: http://www.phasar.net/catalogo/libro/memorie-di-un-parto-cantato-una-nascita-gentile-con-ibu-robin-lim