The Abortion debate: a mother's view

Women are terminating their pregnancy in today's wealthy societies because they are drowning in unpaid and unseen care work. They often already have children that need everything from their mothers, and "the village" that is so needed to support them simply doesn't exist. And yes, women who terminate don't usually do it because they don't want their baby. They simply see no way to have it. Often it is because they already have children that need everything from their mothers. In our rich Western world, a mother who terminates her xth child is much more respected than one who puts the burden of another "eater" to pay for on the welfare state. The majority of women who terminated a pregnancy in Germany in the 1st quarter of 2022 were already mothers. It is sick and sad, but true.

In Germany, termination is no reproduction right. It is a crime. The relevant paragraph in the law follows right after murder and homicide. We are not free in our choices. Though there is no punishment when strict rules are being followed, it remains a crime, and these women not only carry the loss of their child, but also the stigma of being a criminal.

"Eater" is how people looked at their children in past times, and when it comes to struggling financially or mentally because of a growing family, and, unfortunately, I believe the term is not too far away from reality...

And, no, most women do not chose to terminate a pregnancy because they are afraid of larger vaginas (though I really love that discussion point).

Credit: By Lisann

Note: Communist countries like Romania had an abortion ban. This ban from 1966 is considered one of the attrocities of the 20th century. It resulted in large numbers of unsafe abortions and increased maternal death, and in the building of notorious orphanages.

Unfortunately, criminalizing the termination of pregnancy does not solve the problem. This unseen care work has to be valued and rewarded in order for parents to be able to raise their children in a safe, loving environment. The appreciation of the work done by mothers (and by fathers) then, naturally, can lead to laws and to the building communities that support children and families. Unfortunately, instead of looking for a viable solution, societies find it easier to cause more problems, to criminalize and to blame the already overwhelmed women.

In the past, it was illegal for doctors to advertise abortion in Germany. However, this law changed last week as a response to the US abortion ban. Thanks to Werner for pointing this out.

This is written in response to the previous post: The Abortion Debate: A Man's Perspective