By Trudy Simpson, Staff Reporter
FATHERS HAVE rights too, but there are too many cases where women have had abortions without telling the prospective fathers, says Fathers Inc., a Jamaican organisation that works with men to foster good parenting skills.
According to the organisation's chairman, Herbert Gayle, men should be given a chance to participate in any decision making regarding abortion. Lack of consultation with fathers regarding the abortion decision is not limited to the Jamaican situation. A World Health Organisation (WHO) document, entitled 'Progress in Reproductive Health Research' and prepared in 2000, pointed to a study which showed that among pregnant young women working in an export promotion zone in Korea only 11 per cent had consulted the male partner before seeking an abortion.
THE MOTHER'S CHOICE
In addition, in some countries where abortion is legal, the choice to terminate the pregnancy is left to the woman.
"In terms of (father's) rights, the truth is that one of the problems we have found is that quite often in matters relating to reproductive health, men participate as a problem rather than an equal partner. But we strongly hold that in such a decision, men have the right to have some say in whether a pregnancy is terminated," Mr. Gayle recently told The Gleaner.
Dr. Errol Daley, obstetrician and gynaecologist, says that many women who seek abortions usually find themselves pregnant without the anticipated support from male partners.
"A woman going through that type of situation needs financial and emotional support and the person she looks to immediately is the father of the child. But very often, that man is not her own and under those circumstances, she might not tell him. In addition, she might not tell him, even if she wants the pregnancy, if she thinks he doesn't want it. In that case, she may go through it (the abortion) alone and it's much harder on her," Dr. Daley said. He said a woman is more like to discuss the pregnancy with her male partner if the relationship is stable.
But while acknowledging these instances and the fact that many children lived in homes where the father was absent, the president of Fathers Inc. pointed out that trends were showing that more men are now interested in their offspring.
CLEARING THE
MISCONCEPTIONS
Beryl Weir, executive director of the Women's Centre of Jamaica Foundation, agreed. Her organisation runs a programme which helps pregnant teenagers to safely deliver their babies and then return to school.
"Whether employed or unemployed, they (fathers) are supportive to the young mothers. They want the child. They may not be working but they want the child," Mrs. Weir reported.
According to Mr. Gayle, a number of misconceptions about men need to be cleared up.
"(One of the misconceptions) is that boys are going to run away. A study found that boys have stayed. People must see men as being involved rather than as a part of the problem," Mr. Gayle added.
He asserts that men have strong connections to their child whether born or unborn and that this connection needs to be further explored because so little is known about it.
"We have reduced men's roles to a financial one and that is unfair. (Some) men have deep connections to their partners and children. Some men can even tell when their women are pregnant. Men do have the right to make that decision because it (the foetus) is a part of them," Mr. Gayle said.
