A Better Deal
Highlights
- If we invested £10,000 extra per child that would cost less than half what we spend on alcohol each year.
- We need a new government department specifically aimed at giving women a real choice.
- Maternity pay should be paid for centrally by government.
- Women should have no obstacles when re-entering work or education after having a baby.
- We need to educate young men at school as to how to deal kindly with an unexpected pregnancy.
- The medical profession needs to engage with the abortion issue to understand crisis pregnancy better and whether there are better options than abortion.
- Those providing an abortion should recognise that often women are in turmoil and that their request for an abortion could be a cry for help to keep their baby.
With all the different pressures pushing women towards abortion, it's clear there can't be a one size fits all quick-fix. It will need society to make a variety of improvements to help. And to be fair, some issues - such as a difficult relationship with the baby's father - may be impossible for society to sort. On the other hand, kinder reactions towards women in difficult situations should be achievable.
We feel that for many women, relatively small and simple improvements may be enough to swing the balance away from abortion. We have made some suggestions here that we feel should help to give women in the UK a real choice. They are nowhere close to comprehensive but even so they may sound like a crazy wish-list - and yes they are ideals that will clearly cost money. The truth is we haven't priced them but we believe that there is scope within society for significant costs to be met.
For instance if we budgeted £10,000 extra per child for the 670,000 babies born and 270,000 babies aborted in UK per year, that would amount to an extra £9.4 billion going to pregnant women and the parents of young children. Nine billion pounds may sound like a lot of money but it is a fraction of the £1,200 billion UK government spending budget – or looking at it another way, very similar to the £10 billion we spend on pets each year and much less than the £24 billion spent on alcohol or £16 billion on private schools. We're not suggesting for a second to get rid of cats and dogs or beer or posh colleges but it does show there is money in the country.
Political
Perhaps the most crucial change is a new government department dedicated to getting a better deal for pregnant women and the parents of young children specifically aimed at giving pregnant women a real choice.
Financial
- Maternity and paternity benefits should be paid for centrally by government so taking the pressure off individual companies.
- Maternity pay should be at least equal to the best of other European countries.
- Maternity pay should be available till the child goes to primary school.
- There should be financial support for grandparents who reduce work and other commitments to help look after a baby if a mother wishes to return to work.
Employment and Education
- Priority re-entry into education after having a child.
- Priority re-entry into employment after having a child (regardless of previous time in post).
- Easy access to childcare whilst in education or in employment.
- Flexibility with regards to term-time and school hours working.
- A flexible attitude by universities to women students who become pregnant and wish to modify their degree course.
- Statutory help for parents such as Sure Start children's centres.
Attitude of society
- Education around simple human kindness when dealing with women who find themselves pregnant in what might be considered "less than ideal" circumstances and towards single mothers.
- Education of young men at school as to how to deal kindly with an unexpected pregnancy.
Medical profession
We recognise also that this survey only gives a glimpse of what causes women to choose abortion. We believe the medical profession needs to engage with the abortion issue and develop research to analyse what makes a pregnancy a crisis pregnancy and what makes a woman in a crisis pregnancy choose abortion – with a view to resolving these issues.
Counselling
- Those providing an abortion should recognise that often women are in turmoil and that their request for an abortion could be a cry for help to keep their baby.
- Women should be asked if they might want to avoid the abortion and if so this should be discussed in more detail and acted on accordingly.
- Counselling should be private so that women are not coerced into an abortion by other people.