The recent draft regulation on population and family planning management prepared by the Wuhan local government in Hubei province, proposes to impose fines on unmarried mothers, sparking a heated public debate. An article on gmw.cn asks whether such measures are against relevant laws and whether they should be applied against such so-called offenses? Excerpts:

Although the purpose of imposing high "social compensation fees" is aimed at deterring couples from having a second child, the punitive measure has not prevented rich people from violating family planning norms. So to prevent couples from breaking the family planning policy, local governments should educate couples to adopt contraceptive measures.

As far as the Wuhan draft regulation is concerned, the father and mother are equally responsible for the birth of a child. Even if an unmarried woman has an affair with a married man and gives birth to a child, the man should be held equally responsible for flouting family planning norms. The father of the child should be punished according to the law for violating the family planning policy instead of forcing the mother to pay a hefty fine.

An unmarried woman who gives birth to a child should not be treated as a criminal. Since society today is open enough to accept "double-income, no-kid" families, there is no reason to discriminate against unwed mothers.

Punishing an unmarried woman for giving birth to a child, as the draft regulation advocates, is against the Law on the Protection of Rights and Interests of Women. The measures proposed in the draft regulation are immature and could lead to public discontent and social problems. Therefore, such regulations should not be passed in haste.