Social Pressure On Unmarried Mothers
(N.Z. Press Association) DUNEDIN, April 22.
Most unmarried mothers in New Zealand wanted to keep their babies, but social and economic pressures made this impossible, the director of medical services for the Plunket Society (Dr N. C. Begg) said last night.
Dr Begg was commenting on a call for an investigation into the facts on the “unwanted baby” situation by the president of the New Zealand Association of Child Care Centres (Mrs S. M. L. Davies, of Nelson).
Dr Begg said tonight: “It is difficult to see exactly what an investigation into the situation would reveal that is not already well known. “Most unmarried mothers want to keep their babies, but this is impossible, due to social and economic pressures in New Zealand. Until such time as the public attitude towards the mother and child changes, there seems to be little which can be done.”
Dr Begg said that in some countries, a different public attitude made it possible for the mother to keep her child. In Denmark for instance, the illegitimate child and the mother received help from the father, and from the State, and the prevailing public attitude was no bar, she said.
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Bibliographic details
Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31661, 23 April 1968, Page 2
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200Social Pressure On Unmarried Mothers Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31661, 23 April 1968, Page 2
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