Childbirth Medicalization and Control in Qatar

The medicalization of childbirth has caused extensive debate concerning its influence on women's health. Healthcare institutions worldwide expose women to medical scrutiny and surveillance under institutional care so as to address problems related to childbirth, such as high mortality rates. During the colonial period, the British implemented new childbirth laws across their colonies, which played a vital role in spreading the use of medicalization throughout the world. Another factor that contributed to this process was capitalism, which increased dependency on medicine. Nationalism was also instrumental in fostering medicalization as countries sought to control their citizens to guarantee sovereignty. This thesis traces and analyzes historical and current practices and policies related to the medicalization of childbirth in Qatar. It uses a Foucauldian theoretical framework, particularly his notion of the “medical gaze”, “biopower” and “biopolitics”, to understand medicalization and power as a form of control. The study relies on a qualitative research design, including 22 interviews with 15 mothers, 5 medical staff, 3 midwives, and 2 obstetricians, a legal consultant from the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH), and a lawyer. Moreover, a critical text-based analysis of primary sources, such as national and international policies and guidelines relating to childbirth and mothers' rights, was also conducted. The study finds that the Qatari “Patients' Bill of Rights and Responsibilities” issued in 2015 supports an approach that favors the humanization, rather than the medicalization of childbirth. The Bill indicates the right for patients to give informed consent before any medical procedure. International guidelines, such as those of the World Health Organization (WHO), the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), and the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), also support a more humanized approach to childbirth. However, most mothers interviewed insinuated that the Bill is insufficient, and its implementation is weak. Besides, the medical professionals interviewed in this study showed a lack of awareness of national guidelines on the childbirth process. The study thus recommends that Qatar should consider the implementation of various strategies and laws to guide childbirth and protect the rights of women.