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If men could become pregnant ...

ANDREAS OBHOLZER WRITES:

Namibia is a secular state (with no state religion) according to her Constitution.

Most Namibians follow the Christian faith, however. Some churches oppose abortion, divorce and same sex marriages.

This infringes on the constitutional right of individuals to autonomy and privacy.

Abortion is still controlled by the 1975 Abortion and Sterilization Act, from South African colonial times. South Africa has since moved on, to ensure access to abortion according to motivation and the duration of a pregnancy.

Namibia is debating the abortion issue at present. The National Assembly has a majority of male members. Abortion is seen as a female issue. Although it takes two to cause a pregnancy, fifty percent of children are born out of wedlock (they carry the mother’s name), fathers tend to be travelling nomads and maintenance is a chronic problem at magistrates court level.

A reflection of unplanned, unwanted, unaffordable, unloved, neglected children, due to no contraception, is the ever-increasing number of child beggars at traffic lights, sweet sellers, child prostitutes and car guards.

If men could become pregnant, the access to abortion would have been resolved long ago.

A woman not in charge of her fertility/uterus is not free and equal, based on the principles of autonomy and privacy. (Melinda Gates – Bill and Melina Gates Foundation)

We don’t live in a perfect world. We must ensure user friendly access to contraception for women and men and an exit if a mistake happens. Socio-economic deprivation is a killer to the developmental potential of a child. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Be realistic, pragmatic and responsible.

A planned child’s name is “Love Tomorrow”.

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Republikein 2024-11-24

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