Table 3 Case series of different types of disrespect and abuse

Physical abuse

‘They were inserting their fingers inside me in every 10 min (….) it was so painful. Then they would beat me up on the thighs. They did that several times (….) during delivery I would cry (….) I do not how many they were, but almost everybody had pressed me down to the bed, I could not move (….) The moment I drew my breath, everybody became so mad at me. They started beating me more, pushing on my abdomen. It was so painful that it got torn down there. While giving the stitches, they did not give me anything for pain. It was my first delivery and now I am really scared for my second child’ - Primi mother from a lower caste

Non-dignified care

‘ When you were sleeping with your husband, then you did not scream, and now you are? (….) If you do not want babies but want to have fun then do ligation’ - Mother of three from a lower caste

Neglect and abandonment

‘They gave me a bed but nobody came to look after me (…) they were so busy with some other woman that my mother took the curtains from the windows as we did not have any plastic sheet with us (…) she (nurse) started pushing on my abdomen (…) by the grace of God, I delivered and it was a daughter’ - Mother of three from a lower caste

Non-confidential care

‘I was lying on the bed naked drenched in my own blood after delivery for around half an hour in the presence of everybody (…) I somehow found my clothes and covered myself’ - Mother of two from a lower caste

Inappropriate demands of payment

‘The nurse told everybody has to pay, and then only you will get the money from the government. Also, all the medicines were bought with my money, so that has to be covered as well. Give 2000 rupees, else I will not give your baby’- Mother of two from a higher caste

Other types of abuse (lack of cleanliness)

‘It was like a dump. I could see blood and stuff of other women on the bed sheets. There were plastic bags, used sanitary napkins, urine, blood, vomit, food; everything on the floor (…) the toilets were overflowing with faeces with no water facility inside (…) finally I had to go to the fields’ - Mother of five from a lower caste