"Solo Mothers" See Themselves Discriminated Against by Child Desire Law

A group of single mothers feels discriminated against in accessing fertility treatments. Medically assisted reproduction is currently only available to married couples and individuals in registered partnerships or cohabitations - this is discriminatory, according to a statement from "Solo Mothers by Choice" on Thursday. Therefore, on Tuesday, they filed an individual application with the Constitutional Court (VfGH).

Women without partners demand access to fertility treatments

"Austrian law denies single women* their right to family life, while women* in relationships are supported in Austria. This is discriminatory and no longer reflects societal realities," emphasizes one of the applicants. The consequence: Women without partners are forced to remain involuntarily childless or seek treatment abroad, resulting in significantly higher costs.

Partly different rules abroad

In other countries, different rules apply to assisted reproduction. In France, Germany, Spain, or Denmark, for example, single women have long had access to fertility treatments - France even covers the costs for several treatment attempts.

The applicants appeal to the VfGH to "adapt the discriminatory law to reality." "That women with a desire to have children in Austria must prove a marriage or partnership is constitutionally unjustifiable in light of the requirement for objectivity, discriminates against single women, and is merely an expression of an outdated, paternalistic view of society," says lawyer Wolfram Proksch, who represents the applicants in the proceedings before the VfGH.

(APA/Red)

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