简体中文
(Photocollage/ParkerZheng,ChinaDaily)
(CHINADAILY)AsHongKongstrugglestoincreaseitsfertilityrate,hoveringwellbelow“replacement”level,youngmotherswhogavebirthatanearlyageoftenfindthatmotherhoodcomeswithnightmares.Theyoungwomencomplainthatnotonlydotheyfacehardshipsraisingachild,butthattheyalsomeetwithopendiscrimination.
At21,AhCgotpregnantduringaworkingholidaywithherboyfriendinJapan.Thatwastwoyearsago.Sincethen,shehasgivenbirthandherboyfriendhasbecomeherhusband.
“Icouldn’thavebeenthat‘lucky’withjustoneshot,”sherecallsruefully,aboutgivingintohavingunprotectedsexwithherboyfriend.Gettingpregnantwasthelastthingshewanted.Whenshedidthepregnancytestandsawthedoubleredline,shefeltlikeshe’dbeenstruckbylightning.
Shemadeuphermindthereandthentohaveanabortion.Herboyfriend,fiveyearsolderthanshe,promisedtomarryherandtakecareofthebabywhenitwasborn.
ThecouplereturnedtoHongKong,planningtodelaytheirnuptialssotheycouldsavealittlemoney.Hermother-in-lawtobehoweverwouldn’thearofit.AhCandherbridegroomgaveinandinvestedtheirentiresavingsonaweddingbanquet,sotherewasn’tmuchleftbythetimethebabywasborn.
Tomakethingsworse,hermother-in-lawwasanoverbearingtermagant,secondguessingAhC’severydecision,whetherithadtodowithbreastfeedingorbasicparenting.
“It’sallbecauseIamyoung.ShethinksIdon’tknowanything,eventhoughIreadalotofmaterialaboutparenting,”complainsAhC,nowlivingwithherhusbandandbabydaughter.
Hergoalistoreturntoherstudiessoshecangetadecentjob.Shehasasteephilltoclimb,afterdroppingoutofschoolattheendofsecondarytwo.That,ontopofbeingafulltimemotherwitha2-year-olddaughter,leavesherfewoptions.
“TherearemanysubjectsIwanttostudy,likePsychologybuttheyrequireacertainlevelofeducationthatIdon’thave.Withoutacademicqualifications,Ican’tfindadecentjob,”shetoldChinaDaily.
Citywidediscrimination
ChanYee-may,alectureratHongKongBaptistUniversity’sDepartmentofSocialWork,agreesthatteenagemotherssufferdiscriminationbecauseoftheirage,andbecausemanypeoplegiveharshmoraljudgmentsonyoungwomenwhobecomepregnantatanearlyage.
“It’sunfairtofamilieswithyoungparentsinHongKong.Themajorityviewhereisthatparentingisapersonalchoice,withoutconsideringsocietalfactors,”Chanremarks.Sheadds,thewidespreadlackofempathyfortheplightofyoungparentstranslatesintosocialpolicy,inwhichthereisanabsenceofacomprehensivesocialwelfarepolicyforyoungmothersfromsociety’sgrassroots.
“Allmothers,regardlessoftheirage,needanabundanceoftangibleandemotionalsupport.Butoursocietyingeneraldoesn’tprovidethatsupport,letalonecarefortheseyoungmothers,”Chansays.
HongKongisaconservativecity,tothedegreethatunwedpregnancies,especiallyamongteenagersareunwelcome,breedingcontempt.Statisticsshowhoweverthatpregnancyamongyoungwomenisnotallthatuncommonhere.
RecentresearchbyBain&Companyconservativelyestimatedthenumberof“crisispregnancies”inHongKongat6,880ayear.Acrisispregnancyisdescribedasonethatneitherisplannednorwantedbytheexpectantmother.Thusitgivesrisetoapersonalcrisis.Themajorityofcasesfallingintothatcategoryinvolvewomenunder25.
TheSocialWelfareDepartment(SWD)andanumberofNGOsprovideaspectrumofpreventive,supportiveandremedialservicesforneedyfamilies.
“Foryoungmothers,assistancewithreferralstorespectivecommunitysystemsincludingschools,employmenttraining,childcareservices,etc.willbeprovided,”theSWDspokespersonsaid.
ThedepartmentsaystheComprehensiveChildDevelopmentServiceseekstoidentifyat-riskpregnantwomen(e.g.teenageexpectantmothers),motherssufferingpostnataldepression,familieswithpsychosocialissues,andpre-primaryschoolchildrenwithhealth,developmentalandbehavioralproblems.Needychildrenandfamiliesonceidentifiedarereferredtoappropriateserviceunitsforhealthandsocialservices.
BowieLamPo-yee,isprojectofficeratTeen’sKey,aNGOcampaigningtoimproveaccesstosexualandreproductivehealthfacilitiesforyoungpeople.Lampointsoutinadequatenurseryfacilitiesforchildrenunder3aretherootcauseoffailureofyoungmotherswhowanttoimprovetheirskillsandbuildamoreprosperousfuture.Bythetimetheirkidsareeligibleforkindergarten,theseyoungmothersalreadyarelaggingfarbehindtheirpeers,whobythatpointhavecompletedschoolingandaccumulatedjobexperience.
TheSWDsubsidizessomechildcarecenterstryingtomeettheneedsofyoungchildrenunder3,butthemonthlyfeesforfull-dayservice,ataminimumareHK$4,000,isbeyondthemeansofmostfamilies.Ontopofallthat,mostcentersofferonlyhalfdayservices.
Thenumberofclientsatthecenterswas10,594in2013-14,climbingto11,899in2014-15.
TheSWDspokespersonsaysthesystemadded46moreplacesbyexpandingsixstandalonechildcarecentersin2014-15and2015-16.Thegovernmentplanstoprovideanadditional100fulldaycareplacementsforchildrenunder3by2018-19.
Thegovernmentwillprovide,inphases,about5,000additionalplacesforExtendedHoursServiceataidedchildcarecentersandkindergarten-cum-childcarecentersforchildrenundersix.
Theextendedcareservicesareintendedtohelpparents,underduressofovertimehourswhocannotalwaysguaranteetheycanpickuptheirchildrenattheendofthenormalworkday.
“In2015-16,about1,200additionalplacesofExtendedHoursServicehavebeenprovided,”addsthespokesperson.
Childcareplacesatwork
BowieLamcommentsthatallowingyoungmotherstotaketheirchildrentoworkwouldhelpconsiderably,allowingthemtofulfilldualresponsibilitiesasmotherandworkingwomancontributingtosociety.
TheChiefExecutiveannouncedinthe2015PolicyAddressthatthegovernmentwouldexplorethefeasibilityofprovidingchildcare,asapilotproject,intheproposedGovernmentComplexatTseungKwanO.Theplanistoprovide100NGO-operatedchildcareplacesforstaffmembers.
Rainbowenteredmotherhoodat19,overtheobjectionsofeveryoneinhercircle,particularlyherparents.She’dalreadybeenpregnantthreeyearsearlierwhenshewas16,butnevergotoverherremorseathavinganabortion.Shetookhersecondpregnancytotermandhadababygirl,nowalittleover1yearold.Thebaby’sfatherdidn’twanthertoseeherpregnancythrough,andtookoffassoonasRainbowtoldhimshewasadamantabouthavingthebaby.
Itwasn’taneasydecision.Shewasenrolledatcommunitycollegeatthetime.Theschoolhadnoestablishedleavepolicyforpregnantstudents,soRainbowhadnochoicebuttodropout.
Afterherdaughterwasborn,Rainbowwasindirestraits.Sheneededajobsoshecouldsupportherdaughter.AmemberofherchurchhelpedRainbowgetajobasaclericalworkerataministoragecompany.Itwasnearherhome,whereshewasallowedtotakeherdaughtertowork.ShestillbarelymakesendsmeetonherHK$8,000monthlyincome.
Rainbowdidnotgiveuptryingtoreconcilewithherfamily.Shehopedthatonedayherfatherwouldacceptheragain.Inonetouchingmessagetoherdad,shewrote,“Nomatterwhathappenedtome,I’mstillyourdaughter.Givingbirthdoesn’tchangethefactthatI’myourdaughter,andIwillalwaysloveyou.”Soonafter,herparentslethercomehomeandputhertoworkinthefamilybusiness.
Lamsaysthatstereotypingandblamingdon’tstopteenagersfromhavingunprotectedsex,evenifalltoooftenthatleadstounplannedteenagepregnancies.“Thepublicconstantlyquestionstheabilityoftheseyoungmotherstotakecareofthemselves,letalonetheiroffspring,”Lamobserves.Theonlymeansthathavebeenproventopreventteenagepregnancyarecomprehensivesexeducationandbirthcontrol.
BetweenAugustandOctoberin2014,CaritasHongKongProjectHyacinth,aservicesupportingyoungmothersunder24,surveyed100mothersbetween13and24,andfoundthat47percentwantedtogobacktoschool.Overhalfsaidtheywereblockedfrommakingthatchoicebecauseofthelackofchildcareoptions.Another37percentsaidtheyhadfinancialdifficulties.Eightypercentsaidfull-daychildcareservicesweretooscarce,and45percentdidnotknowwheretofinddaycareservices.
ChanYee-maybelievesthatcompletingeducationisvitalforyoungmothers,sothattheycanpursuetheirgoalsinlife.Shesaysthatholdsespeciallytrueinaknowledge-basedeconomylikeHongKong.EventhoughNGOsactivelylookforworkopportunitiesforyoungmothers,Chanadds,it’sdifficulttogetthegovernmenttointroducemoresupportservices.
Notingthenumberofyoungmothersindifficultstraits,Teen’sKeyorganizedtheYoungMothersClublastyear,aimingnotonlytoprovidemutualsupport,buttocreateatraininggroundforyoungmothers,preparingthemtogobacktoschoolandintothelabormarket.
Manyyoungmotherswanttolearncosmetologyandmanicureskillssothatatleasttheycanworkparttime,whilewaitingforafull-timejob.“Rightnow,duetoourlimitedresources,theinstructorsarevolunteers.Wehopetherewillbemorevolunteersindifferentfieldstohelptrainyoungmothers,”Lamsays.
