Father Guardianship after birth ?

[Coggeh]

Their is a new bill to be proposed in Ireland which would give unmarried fathers of children a name on the birth certificate as a legal guardian therefore the same rights to the child as the mother. Should this be supported?

Personally I do support this, I think its anti-feminist to oppose seeing as it enforces the stereotype of women always being single mothers or the child belongs to the female and not the male. This is no way harms the right of the woman to decide about her choice when the child is in the womb. (Although in Ireland she is not given that right anyway) also I believe after birth its a two person show that the father should have complete equal rights with the mother .

Opinions?

[lonelywurm]

I can't even imagine a situation where the father of a child would be kept off a birth certificate for not being married to the mother of the child. I understand Ireland's laws have been heavily coloured by Catholic dogma (only legalizing divorce in 1997, for instance), but wow.

As well, at least where I grew up, being named as the father on the certificate made the individual liable for child support - something I'd argue is a distinct necessity if we're to break the cycles of poverty many single mothers and their children face. How is this done in Ireland, does anyone know?

[Ocean Seal]

Their is a new bill to be proposed in Ireland which would give unmarried fathers of children a name on the birth certificate as a legal guardian therefore the same rights to the child as the mother. Should this be supported?

Personally I do support this, I think its anti-feminist to oppose seeing as it enforces the stereotype of women always being single mothers or the child belongs to the female and not the male. This is no way harms the right of the woman to decide about her choice when the child is in the womb. (Although in Ireland she is not given that right anyway) also I believe after birth its a two person show that the father should have complete equal rights with the mother .

Opinions?
I wholly support this, none should be eligible to opt out of taking care of a child that has already been born. I think that men should also be given the right to take care of their child/children because they participated in conceiving the child. But ultimately I'm still pro-choice and in the womb it should predominantly be the mother's choice.
Edit: Unless it is rape, in that case the father should not be entitled to taking care of the child.

[Hiero]

Edit: Unless it is rape, in that case the father should not be entitled to taking care of the child.

Well there are plenty of other situatiions where the father should be barred from parental responsibility, it doesn't have to that extreme. It would have to be viewed from the well being of the child. For instance where the father has purposefully avioded responsibilities (left the mother and child for lengths at end leaving the mother as sole career) he shouldn't have the right to turn up once every few months and make decisions that affect the child's life. Or violent fathers who have physicall assualted the child or mother.

You can not force someone to take responsibility. There are many legitimate reasons why some fathers are barred parental responsibility of their children. The right should always be there for both parents, but if either one do not take adequate responsibilities than they forfeit thoose rights.

I am not actually sure what this bill will mean.

[Hiratsuka]

A one-sentence generalization isn't enough to work from, but if that's the gist, then so be it. I'd support such a notion. There's small barriers to the process in the US such as allowing unmarried mothers to have the sole authority to name the child, but that definitely sounds like it needs to be fixed.