LEGAL "ABORTION" FOR MEN IN SWEDEN

Feminism. There is yet another twist to the call for equality. At the very end, it appears that men have started to seek those rights which have thus far being monopolized by women. If anything is made out of the current bill which is awaiting official enactment pursuant to the Swedish constitution, then one of the straws of what may eventually break the camel’s back may soon be struck.

A law tagged “the Male Abortion Law” is the cause of the current furore between some feminist civil rights groups and some groups that have been awakened by the struggle for equal rights without let. However, the proponents of the Swedish law are prescribing a legal right for men to repudiate the fatherhood of their unborn babies unless the pregnancy has exceeded its 18^th week. According to the Swedish law, a pregnant woman who decides against carrying her pregnancy can opt for abortion and terminate the pregnancy. This gives the ladies the sole power to determine whether or not to have the baby and be a mother. However, the new law would give men an equal power to decide whether or not to be fathers to their “products.” And a man is given up to 18 weeks make up his mind. The rationale behind the ceiling of the period at 18 weeks is to give the woman the liberty to make consequential decision on whether to have the baby since the man has repudiated fatherhood.

Although the law has some good innovatory aspects and could be welcomed by many. It is  controversial as well.

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The benefit of the law to men is that they now have the right to request for “abortion.” Therefore, if they believe within themselves not to assume the role of a father due to one reason or another, it can take legal steps to cut all legal ties with the child. This appears to be beneficial to all those who are averse to the payment of “child support.” In a way it will curb the “fraud” by women perpetuated through “child support.” A situation where a woman may trick a man into getting her pregnant due to the man opulence and then turn around to feed off the man’s pocket in the name of child support. If you doubt the enormous effect of the payment of child support to a man’s life, ask some celebrities like 50 cents. They will tell you.

But the question is, even if a man decides to cut legal ties with his unborn child, it still does not detract from the fact that he still has a child though not in the eyes of the law. Women still have the right to decide ultimately on whether or not to keep a child. Therefore, whether or not a man decides to trigger the provision of the law, if the woman decides against abortion, the truth remains for the man that he has a child: his flesh and blood in the world. He cannot run away from it. Men should just get used to it. This is what the law cannot solve for you men. Nature ultimately deprives you of that right.  

On the other hand, an argument against the law is linked to psychology and religious: pro-life. In a way, where a man decides to trigger the provisions of the “Male Abortion Law,” it may push a woman towards having an abortion. The pregnant woman may feel deserted, and may against conviction take steps to abort the baby. Therefore, the law may also be seen as empowering the men further, depending on whose side the analyst is.

So many persons have voiced their opinion on this issue. However, we are yet to obtain their permissions to publish same here. What is your take on this: do you support the “Male Abortion Law” or not? And who protects the unborn child's right?