The People’s National Convention (PNC), has asked the government to consider introducing a legislation that will help provide some form of allowance to single mothers.
The party made the demand in a press release it issued to mark this year’s Mother’s Day celebration, marked on Sunday, May 8.
In the statement signed by the General Secretary, Janet Asana Nabla, the PNC said this is part of “best practices” elsewhere that should be emulated in the country.
As a result, it wants the Executive and Parliament to urgently pass legislation for the payment of the said allowance.
“It is our call to the Executive arm of the government and the Legislature to emulate best practices elsewhere and enact laws to provide some form of allowances to these single mothers”.
The PNC bemoaned the growing incidence of single parenting in the country and its effects on mothers.
“There is an increasing rate of single parenting in recent times, especially mothers who are single-handedly caring for their children, whereas the fathers are absent”.
It is thus calling for financial support for single mothers, asking the government to enforce laws against fathers who shirk their parental responsibilities.
“For the absentee fathers, we call for a review of existing laws to ensure that fathers who avoid taking responsibility for their children are severely punished to serve as a deterrent to others.”
“The sad reality is that most of the women who pursue these fathers by themselves, like going to DOVVSU, Legal Aid, the Juvenal courts, social welfare etc, end up abandoning the cause because the bureaucracy is too much for them.”
The party also urged the government to institute a scheme whereby institutions such as MASLOC and NEIP offer special financial assistance to single mothers.
“Again, it is our call to the government to institute a scheme via institutions such as the MASLOC, NEIP amongst others to offer special financial services to single mothers who are engaged in any form of enterprises.”