[ad_1]
MBABANNE – While men have welcomed the idea of mandatory DNA testing before paying child support, groups advocating for women’s rights say it is not a solution.
Previously, some lawmakers in the country called for mandatory DNA testing, arguing that the test is crucial to preventing individuals from being unfairly forced to raise non-biological children. They said the move would also help reduce cases of gender-based violence related to child paternity disputes.
Among those who welcomed the move was a judicial official who said the paternity of his two children was questionable.
support
The officer, who has children with different women, said he found out the child was also being raised by another man but chose to keep it secret because he had a wife.
However, Sakhile Dlamini, communications officer for the Swatini Anti-Abuse Action Group (SWAGAA), said DNA was a reactive measure when challenges arose.
Dlamini said it was important to address the root causes, including preventing pregnancies, as these would eventually lead to disputes.
Dlamini said it was illogical that people were unwilling to pay €800 for maintenance but could afford a €5,000 DNA test.
Dlamini said if custody issues were to be resolved and the biological parents of the child verified, there were other ways to do it.
On ending gender-based violence, Dlamini said DNA is not a preventive measure. She said if lawmakers are keen to address gender-based violence, they should address the root causes and not the end.
She said prevention should be promoted so that people don’t find out they have a problem and have to pay for expensive DNA tests.
These could involve safe sex and family planning, she said. “We are working on addressing misconceptions about condoms, where people say condoms compromise sex when they have unprotected sex,” Dlamini said.
The spokesperson said there is another intervention to prevent unwanted pregnancies which is contraception but again men complain about how women behave during intercourse. She said most of the time all the misconceptions come from men. Dlamini believes that the cause of parenting problems is the lack of planning to have children which creates parent-child relationship issues.
She said DNA testing can be challenging because people may not be able to pay for it, causing cases to be delayed. “Men have been using paternity as a means to not pay child support.”
On the other hand, One Billion Rising Project Director Colani Hlatjwako said they welcome initiatives to assist in addressing child support and gender-based violence issues related to paternity.
DNA testing could be a way to partially resolve child support issues. She said if DNA testing is mandatory, the government should cover the cost. Currently, she said, people who have questions about paternity have to pay for it. She said lawmakers need to discuss the role the government should play in paternity issues so that the process does not stop due to lack of funding.
Hlatjwako said they have seen cases where men did not raise children despite knowing that they were the biological fathers.
She said child support does also lead to violence, adding that when a person raises a child and finds out that he or she is not their own, they end up killing their spouse, children and committing suicide. Hlatjwako said they do not encourage such things. Meanwhile, social media is abuzz with the issue. Some members of the public have suggested on Facebook that child support should be provided free of charge when a child is born.
be opposed to
However, others are against the idea because they believe it will split families. They add that DNA testing may help parents but many children will be negatively affected.
They said this was because when the result was negative, the result could not show who the father of the child was. They believed that waiting until a claim for child support was made would not completely solve the problem. According to some Facebook users, in many cases, men were raising children who were not their own.
They said it was reasonable to make DNA testing mandatory before demanding support payments, given that some women need five men to raise one child.
[ad_2]
Source link
