Neoliberal Paternal Authoritarianism and Obstetric Violence in Turkey: Vulnerability and Resilience in Routine Episiotomies

This chapter discusses a distinct form of obstetric violence emerging in thecontext of neoliberal paternal authoritarianism, which not only threatens women’sclaims for autonomy about their reproductive rights but also targets doctors’authority through economic, legal and reputational risks in contemporary Turkey.Medical interventions, especially episiotomies, are routinized for a risk­free andefficient birth, creating high vulnerability to obstetric violence. This chapter arguesthat contestations in the medical field can be a historical opportunity for women toclaim autonomy and respect, not as patients, clients or mothers, but as the centralactors in birth in this era. A detailed analysis is offered on how they narrate theirprenatal care experiences as an ongoing negotiation with their physicians and howthey generate self­support mechanisms by mobilizing medical, familial and marketresources. The chapter discusses the possible effects of their attempts to build resilience against the context­specific vulnerabilities to obstetric violence.