Why 22 Ahmedabad Women Registered Themselves As Single Moms In Last Four Years

Ahmedabad registers single mothers this February. Not giving in to marital pressure, Ahmedabad women were seen realising their dreams for motherhood. 

In the last five years, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) saw 22 instances of women registering themselves as single mothers. 

This surfaced in the registrar maintained for the birth and death records. This registrar confirmed that 22 of these Ahmedabad women only filled in their own details in their child's birth certificates and left the father's details column empty. 

AMC made note of six women from 2019 to 2022 who gave birth to children in the absence of a spouse. Additionally, these women opted to leave out the paternity details of the child for documents. 

More Details Of Ahmedabad Registers Single Mothers 

The registrar where birth and death records are maintained receives the necessary information from the hospital itself. The registrar makes a notation of details such as birth registration number, temporary residence address, birth date, mother's permanent address, place of birth, sex of the child, name, ward, and mother's and father's name. 

Sources convey that if police personnel chanced upon a pregnant woman who did not have a home to return to would be sent to a shelter for women. 

When a woman in such a circumstance gives birth, the birth certificate omits the name of the parents. Furthermore, if the pregnant individual is a minor then the name of the father need not be mentioned in the birth certificate. The AMC mentioned that they recorded eight similar cases. 

The AMC confirmed that women are allowed to lay claim on the birth certificate of their children, even ones without the name of a father. 

To support the decision, the state government of Ahmedabad had asked schools not to insist on the father's name in their records and only accept the mother's name in disputed scenarios. 

Dr Kanthi Bansali, a fertility expert based in Ahmedabad conveyed that the Supreme Court supports the decision of women to become single mothers. He had helped unmarried women in their 30s conceive through the process of artificial reproduction technology. 

Experts view unmarried women exercising their right to motherhood as advancing women's empowerment. 

Also Read: 22 Women Register As Single Mothers In Ahmedabad: A Progressive Wave For Motherhood