Cape Town gynae calls out world body on Palestine

‘FIGO’s silence on the plight of Palestinian women is deeply troubling. It suggests a troubling inconsistency in the application of its ethical framework and raises difficult questions about whose suffering merits acknowledgment, and whose does not.’

A Cape Town-based obstetrician and gynaecologist has written an open letter to the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) over the organisation’s ‘continued silence in response to the violence and reproductive rights violations inflicted on Palestinian women and girls’.

By Dr LATIEFA VINOOS

The XXV FIGO World Congress of Gynaecology and Obstetrics took place in Cape Town from October 5 to 9. The International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) has the largest number of member societies among professional organisations dedicated to women’s health. It comprises over 140 national societies, representing nearly one million gynaecologists and obstetricians around the world.

As a global body committed to advancing the health and rights of women and girls, FIGO holds a position of profound responsibility and moral influence in the international medical and human rights community. It is precisely because of this influence that I write with deep concern and disappointment over FIGO’s continued silence in response to the well-documented gender-based violence and reproductive rights violations being inflicted upon Palestinian women and girls in Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Recent findings from the United Nations Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, Ms Reem Alsalem, and the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, provide grave evidence of widespread, systematic violence targeting women and girls. These include:

Intentional attacks on pregnant women and mothers
Destruction of maternity wards and reproductive health facilities
Denial of access to essential reproductive and maternal healthcare
Widespread malnutrition and psychological trauma among women
Documented cases of sexual violence, including rape and torture
Policies and practices contributing to reproductive harm and population destruction

These atrocities are compounded by the deliberate targeting and killing of healthcare workers, including obstetricians, midwives, nurses, and emergency responders, many of whom were providing lifesaving maternal and neonatal care under siege conditions. According to multiple humanitarian agencies, the death toll among medical personnel in Gaza is among the highest ever recorded in a conflict zone. The systematic targeting of healthcare infrastructure and professionals has devastated the reproductive health system and stripped countless women of access to safe childbirth, emergency obstetric care, and postnatal support. These actions not only violate the Geneva Conventions but directly undermine the core values of the global medical community.

Such acts constitute clear violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, and many fall within the legal definitions of crimes against humanity and genocidal acts under the Rome Statute and Genocide Convention.

A question of consistency and ethical responsibility

FIGO has rightly spoken out in the past on matters of reproductive injustice, gender-based violence in conflict zone, and the ethical obligations of health professionals to advocate for vulnerable populations. It has led the charge in condemning obstetric violence, advancing reproductive rights, and standing in solidarity with women affected by war and displacement in countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ukraine.

In this context, FIGO’s silence on the plight of Palestinian women is deeply troubling. It suggests a troubling inconsistency in the application of its ethical framework and raises difficult questions about whose suffering merits acknowledgment, and whose does not.

I recognise that speaking out on politically sensitive matters can be complex. Yet, when fundamental rights are being systematically violated, and when those violations are being credibly documented by international legal bodies, a principled, a humanitarian response should not be optional.

Bothsidesism

Outgoing President of FIGO, Professor Kihara Anne-Beatrice, released a statement in October 2023: ‘All people have a right to life, health and dignity. The violence and conflict in Israel and Gaza exposes women, children, the elderly and other vulnerable groups to social, gender and reproductive injustices.’

She went on to say: ‘FIGO urgently calls on all involved to end hostilities, open humanitarian corridors, provide for basic needs (food, water, energy) and ensure access to and provision of health care to all those in need. It is crucial that international humanitarian laws are respected to ensure the safety, security and life of all.”

Calls for neutrality or appeals to ‘both sides’ in this context risk perpetuating a dangerous false equivalence. While all civilian suffering is tragic and worthy of compassion, the internationally recognised situation in Palestine is one of asymmetrical power, long-standing military occupation, and systematic oppression. Framing the issue as a balanced conflict between equal actors obscures the reality of state violence and erases the lived experiences of Palestinian women who face reproductive injustice not as collateral damage, but as a consequence of deliberate policies and military actions.

FIGO must resist the moral complacency of ‘both-siding’ and instead uphold its duty to speak truthfully and courageously in defence of those whose rights are being deplorably violated.

Silence is not neutral

The absence of a clear statement from FIGO, condemning these acts and standing in defence of Palestinian women’s reproductive and human rights, is not a neutral act. In moments of profound injustice, silence reinforces impunity and signals tolerance for violations that would be unequivocally condemned in other contexts.

FIGO’s leadership is needed now more than ever; not only to uphold the dignity of Palestinian women and girls, but to safeguard the integrity of the global women’s health movement and the values it stands for.

Dr Latiefa Vinoos calling out FIGO at its World Congress in Cape Town for its lack of response to Israeli violence and reproductive rights violations inflicted on Palestinian women and girls.

A call for action

I respectfully urge FIGO to:

Acknowledge the reports of gender-based violence and reproductive injustice in Palestine.
Publicly affirm its support for the protection of Palestinian women’s reproductive rights and bodily integrity.
Recognise and affirm the findings of the UN Special Rapporteur and the Independent International Commission of Inquiry.
Support independent investigations and international accountability mechanisms to prosecute these crimes.
Call for the protection and restoration of maternal and reproductive healthcare infrastructure in Gaza and for unrestricted humanitarian access.
Condemn the targeted killing of healthcare workers and advocate for the protection of all medical personnel in conflict zones.
Ensure that the experiences and suffering of Palestinian women and girls are included in all discussions around justice, reparation and peace in oppressed populations.
Suspend the membership and participation of Israeli institutions and representatives in its activities until the Israeli government ceases its systematic violations of women’s rights in Palestine and accountability mechanisms are pursued in accordance with international human rights and humanitarian law.
And above all, to reassert its moral leadership in defending the rights of all women; regardless of geography, politics, or religion.

Conclusion

I offer this critique not as an adversary, but as an ally who believes in FIGO’s mission and in its capacity to lead with courage and conscience. History has shown that professional silence in the face of grave human suffering only deepens harm.
Professor Kihara Anne-Beatrice brought acknowledgement in her outgoing speech as the President of FIGO when she said: ‘We are losing mothers, we are losing children, we are losing doctors, entire generations of women are being wiped out. We need to be restless, we need to be at the forefront and it starts with simple acts like having empathy.’ She also mentioned that ‘we need to do more; we must do more.’
I hope FIGO will rise to this moment with clarity, compassion, and the moral consistency that global health leadership demands.

History will remember who spoke up and who looked away.