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Fathers' Rights, Mothers' Wrongs? Reflections on Unwed Fathers' Rights and Sex Equality

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 March 2020

Mary L. Shanley
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Abstract

This article examines arguments concerning the right of an unwed biological father to consent to the adoption of his offspring, and to take custody of the child even against the mother's wishes. The understanding of gender-neutrality that supposedly supports many such arguments is false, and risks diminishing women's decision-making authority under the guise of sex equality. Laws governing unwed parent's rights must emphasize the centrality of parental responsibility in establishing parental rights.

Type
Research Article
Information
Hypatia , Volume 10 , Issue 1: Special Issue: Feminist Ethics and Social Policy, Part 1 , Winter 1995 , pp. 74 - 103
Copyright
Copyright © 1995 by Hypatia, Inc.

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