A Pregnant Woman (name withheld) has threatened to kill herself over her inability to care for her four children as well as her unborn babies.
Narrating her story on Spice FM, the woman stated that her relationship with the man has lasted for five (5) months after meeting at an uncle’s funeral in Ntankoful, a suburb of the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA).
According to her, the man who impregnated her has not been responsible in recent times and that is forcing her to get rid of the foetus as well as her life.
For her, a pregnancy scan conducted revealed that she is pregnant with twins, and since she has no job or livelihood to depend on, the only option available to her is abortion or death.
The family, she said has neglected her because ‘her supposed’ husband hurled insults at her mother and uncle in a bid to come to a consensus on the pregnancy. She further reiterated that the ‘husband’ accused her mother of being a witch.
According to this woman, the “husband” in turn has two children with her sister which she believes is abominable as blood sisters cannot marry one man.
She reveals that already there are four children she needs to care for yet financial difficulties are preventing her, however, calling for support to help her cater for herself and her four children.
“I already have four children under my care so if I can put to bed the twins successfully, that will mean I have to take care of six children. This is too challenging for me. I have no means of taking care of them and myself too,” she added.
She believes, that getting support from people would deter her from aborting the pregnancy yet she does not personally want to have anything to do with the father of the child.
She doesn’t also want to give birth with a disrespectful and irresponsible man, therefore the only best way for her is to terminate the pregnancy.
Reacting to the issue, Madam Constance Baideen, Director of Social Welfare at the Sekondi Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA), advised that at this point in time, abortion should not be an option since it is criminal until a doctor’s advice.
She also added that since the said woman has been able to go for a scan which has revealed that the babies are twins, it is also an indication that the babies may be a bit matured and abortion may be dangerous to an extent.
The next option that could be considered is ‘fostering’ that can allow the woman to still have custody of her children if she wishes.
She further advised that in such a situation it will be significant for the woman to seek counselling and psychological support from social welfare and any other able government agencies.
– Pregnant Woman
