51Gynecological and Obstetric Violence: Framing the Phenomenon under International Human Rights Law

The purpose of this chapter is to frame the issue of gynecological and obs tetric violence from a human rights law perspective.Considering the lack of a com prehensive legally binding definition, this contribution serves as a starting point to reflect further on the notion and enhance scholarly debate on the matter.Ultimately, it argues in favor of the recognition of gynecological and obstetric violence as a form of genderbased violence, positing that attempts at drafting a definition should embrace a human rightsbased and intersectional approach focused on the gendered element.1 This contribution focuses on the impact of gynaecological and obstetric violence on women's rights.Nonetheless, it should be acknowledged that, as a phenomenon deeply rooted in gender stereotypes, it can affect nonbinary and trans people as well.