Feeling wronged: maternity care experiences of black, Sub-Saharan African migrant women living in Belgium during COVID-19

Introduction This article examines the maternity care experiences of Black Sub-Saharan African migrant women living in Belgium during the COVID-19 pandemic, using the lens of Critical Race Theory (CRT). It explores how women describe their interactions with maternal healthcare providers and how intersecting factors-race, migration status, language, and gender - shaped their maternity care. Methods The study employed a qualitative, narrative design combining semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 30 women who gave birth in Belgium between 2020 and 2022, alongside participant observation at a Born House. The data were analyzed through a multi-phase thematic analysis that, in line with CRT, focused on counter-stories. Results Findings show that the pandemic and the measures to contain it compounded and exacerbated experiences of stereotyping, linguistic racism, and obstetric violence among Black migrant women. Stereotyping contributed to inadequate pain management, delayed diagnoses, and a lack of emotional support. COVID-19 measures - such as mask mandates, teleconsultations, and reduced availability of interpreters - intensified existing language barriers in interaction with maternal healthcare providers, enabling the expression of racist attitudes and reinforcing systemic exclusion from pregnancy-related decision-making. As a result, many women reported feeling wronged or coerced during and after childbirth. Mechanisms of redress did not accompany processes of blame attribution. Discussion From a CRT perspective, we argue that pandemic measures without consideration of the specific needs of racialized migrants and linguistic minorities constitute a form of institutional neglect, reinforcing pre-existing inequities in maternity care. Tackling structural racism is not only a long-term imperative, but also requires acute awareness of the needs of racialized minorities when introducing new, ostensibly universal public health measures in times of crisis. View less