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Should dads be allowed to terminate their rights and responsibilities in the raising of a child?
By Christine Schoenwald — Written on Mar 17, 2020
A proposal from a regional branch of the youth wing of Sweden's Liberal Party, known as Liberal Youth of Sweden (LUF Väst), asserts that men should have the same rights as women do in their country when it comes to deciding whether or not they want to become a parent in the case of an unwanted pregnancy.
The concept — which has been referred to as a male abortion, paper abortion, financial abortion, or statutory abort — would allow potential fathers-to-be to free themselves from any responsibility for raising the as-yet-unborn child through a simple legal process.
The Swedish group proposing this action are calling it a legal abortion, which is sort of ironic because we pretty much have the same thing here in the United States — but we call it being a jerk.
The official proposal says that men who don't want to be dads should be allowed to get a legal abortion up to the 18th week of a woman's pregnancy. Not coincidentally, the cut-off date corresponds with the last week in which a woman can terminate a pregnancy in Sweden.
By obtaining a legal abortion, men wouldn't have to pay any child support and would be freed of having any connection with their child. They also wouldn't be allowed to meet the child at any point in the future.
"This means a man would renounce the duties and the rights of parenthood," LUF Väst chairman Marcus Nilsen told Swedish newspaper The Local.
Supporters of the idea claim that allowing these male abortions would mean greater equality for the sexes and let expectant mothers know if their partner is willing to commit to parenthood.
Oddly enough, the idea of male legal abortions was suggested by female members of the Liberal party, as Nilsen confirmed: "This motion was actually put forward at our annual meeting by a group of girls."
Of course, this isn't the first time that the Liberal Party has suggested something outrageous.
Just one month earlier, they advocated for the repeal of several laws in an effort to legalize consensual incest between brothers and sisters over the age of 15, as well as declaring themselves in favor of legislation that would permit consensual necrophilia in cases where the deceased had written bequests in their will allowing others to have post-life sexual relations with them.
At the time, president of LUF Stockholm, Cecilia Johnson, said that "counter-incest legislation amounted to 'morality law,'" adding that, "These laws protect no one right now."
Further, she remarked, "I understand that [incest] can be considered unusual and disgusting, but the law cannot stem from it being disgusting."
I guess after legalizing incest and consensual necrophilia, suggesting male abortion seems pretty tame.
It should be noted that, at least to date, the measure has not been passed.
Christine Schoenwald is a writer and performer. She's had articles in The Los Angeles Times, Salon, and Woman's Day. Visit her website or and her Instagram.
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Editor's Note: This article was originally posted on April 5, 2016 and was updated with the latest information.