Here's My Kid In A Box
Today in my Japanese Gender and Society Issues class (aka Japanese feminist class) we were discussing the issue of abortion and sterilization. I expected it to turn into a heated debate of whether abortions were an individual right of choice or a violation of protecting the human right of the fetus as these things normally come to be. There were four Americans present, 3 Chinese, 1 Polish, and 1 Austrian along with our Japanese teacher. Truly, it was a small world union assembled to discuss a controversial topic. I waited with bated breath.
Surprisingly no one fought on the morality of it, and no one stepped on anyone's toes. Instead, we shared the different policies of our countries and explained why the government instated these policies, and what problems society was having with them. It was amazing at how much I learned!
For one thing, Japan completely embraces the idea of equal human rights for everyone. In this charter, it says every person has the right to determine if, who, and when to enter a relationship of any kind, and also has the freedom to choose whether they wish to bare or bring up children. And so, under this notion, a woman is free to choose whether she would opt for an abortion or not. However, contrary to this, in order to get an abortion the woman must attain the permission of the father, whether they are married or currently dating, and write up a paper explaining her reasons for the abortion. If the man says no, or puts off signing this piece of paper, the woman cannot legally get an abortion. (Contradiction 1)
If someone opts to be sterilized for whatever reason they choose, they must first gain the permission of their spouse for this operation to take place. (Contradiction 2). Also, if someone has been sterilized already, and becomes engaged to be married, if they do not tell their spouse-to-be that they are sterilized before the wedding takes place, the spouse may sue them and divorce them later (Contradiction 3).
Interesting.
I also learned this from my own world convention:
1). In Poland, it was legal to have an abortion, no questions asked, 30 years ago. The government wanted women who were not economically stable to be able to decide if they could properly raise a child if they became pregnant. Apparently, too many married women who had 3 or more kids and didn't want one more used this, and now it is next to illegal.
2). In China, if a man requests that the woman he knocked up give birth to their child and promises to raise it, she must do so. (Or, this was what was roughly translated).
3). The South in the US apparently has a lower abortion rate than we do. I think they're lying. Or messing with the numbers.
4). In Austria, there is a place for children born unwanted to parents. Instead of an abortion, the mother gives birth to the child and puts it in a post box. This post box is designed like a parcel receiver. The parent goes up to the office, opens the bin, puts their child in, and shuts it. The windows are completely covered up so no one inside who receives the child can see the parents' face. This newborn is then adopted out.
I'm totally not kidding. A kid in a box. Well, it seems cruel, but it's better than leaving the newborn in a dumpster, no? At least this child will be guaranteed the provisions to live, even if they parents don't want it.
I just thought I'd share, because it was really interesting how all these countries dealt with the issue of abortion in their own way.