This morning I woke up to a challenge on several forums I am part of. Everyone was discussing a circulating video about a child who had refused to go to school because of pocket money. A woman was desperately soliciting help over what appears to be her primary responsibility i.e., to nurture and introduce a life to society.
Immediately, my mind began to dig into things I have read, experienced and sometimes reflected upon. I thought about history and how many human societies that we often wish to emulate evolved, and the challenges they faced along the way. What do we learn from them? Are we at the same level of evolution as they conceived, or did we jump in midway? Were most African societies disrupted along their own path?
This is what I gather, for example:
Medieval Period (5th–15th century): The Catholic Church strongly discouraged single parenting and illegitimacy, with penalties for unmarried mothers and their children, including social ostracism and limited inheritance rights.
18th–19th century: In Victorian England, having a child outside marriage was highly stigmatized, with women often facing social ruin and poverty.
Early 20th century: In some European countries such as Ireland and Italy, single mothers and their children faced social exclusion and were often forced to give up their children for adoption.
Post-World War II (1945–1960s): Many European countries, including Germany and Austria, had laws and social norms discouraging single parenting and illegitimacy.
In 2017, the government of Scotland apologized for policies of forced adoption and sterilization, particularly targeting young women, from the mid-20th century. This is what I gather:
1930s–1970s: Many unmarried pregnant women, often teenagers, were sent to Mother and Baby Homes, where they were pressured or coerced into giving up their babies for adoption.
1950s–1960s: Forced sterilization was practiced in some Scottish hospitals, targeting vulnerable women, including those from poor backgrounds or with disabilities.
1967: The Abortion Act was passed in the UK, allowing abortion on broader grounds, though implementation varied.
Also:
Australia had policies of forced adoption and sterilization, particularly targeting Indigenous Australians, unmarried women and those with disabilities from the early 20th century. Here are some key events:
1900s–1970s: Thousands of Indigenous Australian children, known as the Stolen Generations, were forcibly removed from their families and placed in institutions or with non-Indigenous foster families.
1950s–1980s: Unmarried pregnant women, often teenagers, were pressured or coerced into giving up their babies for adoption, with some facing forced sterilization.
1900s–1990s: People with disabilities, including women caught up in social vices such as prostitution and poverty, were sterilized without consent, often as part of eugenic policies.
What seems to have been the main motivations for forced adoption and sterilization across some of these heavily Christianized societies that we often emulate?
Eugenics: The idea of improving the human race by controlling reproduction, often targeting marginalized groups such as the poor, Indigenous peoples or those with disabilities.
Social control: Regulating family structures, morality and social norms, particularly around sexuality, marriage and motherhood.
Racial and cultural assimilation: Forcing assimilation of Indigenous or minority groups into dominant cultures.
Economic factors: Reducing welfare burdens or perceived dependency on state support.
Therefore, it seems to me that for most societies that have progressed, reproductive control and related policies have been central. These were largely motivated by the desire to produce the kind of citizen that nation states wanted for social, economic and political stability.
It also seems that after many years of strict administration, these societies responsibly reviewed these policies and gradually returned control to families and communities. What we see today did not happen by accident.
Christian values also played a major role in shaping most European societies. Some of the methods now appear harsh. African societies, too, had little room for weakness. Nature selected. The family was understood as a unit without blemish. As a result, there was rarely a child without a father or mother. If one parent died due to natural causes, society assumed responsibility.
Therefore, the western lifestyles that we often pursue are deeply rooted in a history of strict administration of people toward greater individual responsibility and consciousness. Today, their laws on child bearing and care are strict. By law, children belong to the state. A biological or adoptive parent must prove that he or she is a responsible caretaker.
Africans, especially those living in peripheral capitalist societies, may be falling into certain patterns unknowingly, and that is understandable. For some of us, this is expected. Unresolved problems often produce many challenges. These challenges may push us to act in dissonance and create even more problems for ourselves.
It is not uncommon for many of us to create our own problems without reflection, and in turn create burdens for the entire society. Unfortunately, in an era of deepening individualism, few will leave their comfort to help another. They too are wrong.
Often, a cunning, mischievous and violent young man attracts a naive young girl as a partner. Is that not so?
Let us not forget that we are a society, and none of us can be safe in an unsafe neighborhood.
We must think deeply about the form and nature of the family we want to use as the building block of our nations. We must act together and decisively.
Authored by Dr. Deus Muhwezi Kamunyu (PhD)
