Hyderabad: Single women 40 and above will be given preference to adopt children. This decision was taken by the Women and Child Development ministry following the increasing number of single women coming out to adopt children.
P. Sharadha, the district child protection officer of Kurnool, says, “I believe that this is a very good step. We get many requests for adoption through the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) website and many are from single women. Earlier, preferential treatment was given to couples. This new rule is a welcome change.”
While women rights activists say the age barrier set is too high, authorities believe that it is to ensure that the single mother is financially stable. “I believe the age has been set so that the mother is well-settled in her career and can look after the child by herself. People even younger can apply but preferential treatment will be given to those who are well established,” says Sharadha.
Authorities believe that social stigma against single women of a certain age was often a barrier to adoption. They say that the requests they get from single women show that they also want to have a family even though they do not get the required support from society.
A senior official at Shishugruha says, “Being single above a certain age should not be considered as a reason to be unable to adopt. This step will prove beneficial as there are a lot of children waiting for homes and because women are career-oriented now, there are a lot of women who are capable of raising a child on their own without external support.”
V. Sandhya, the national convenor of Progressive Organisation of Women says, “As long as a person is willing to provide protection and security to a child, she should be allowed to adopt. Single women who can guarantee a secure life for a child deserve this right.”
