81The Prevention of Obstetric Violence: The Humanization of Childbirth in Brazil

The purpose of this chapter is to analyze the measures taken in Brazil to prevent obstetric violence.The initiatives promoted in public facilities, inherent in the implementation of the humanized childbirth model, aim to improve maternal health through care centered on the respect and protagonism of women.The huma nization of childbirth, drawing on the contributions of professionals and activists and the critique of the medicalized and technocratic model of childbirth, has pro vided a decisive impulse for the transformation of obstetric care through a holistic approach that considers childbirth not only as a biological, but also as a psychosocial event.The paradigm shift, which affects both healthcare systems and the professio nals involved, is not limited to eliminating certain practices, but rather aims to promote structural, ethical and cultural change, reducing cases of obstetric violence and ensuring a better childbirth experience while respecting women's human rights.