Towards the path of hope and equality

As the government introduced its proposed amendments to the Embryo Protection Act, last week, a new ray of hope emerged for many persons that normally chose to live their suffering in silence within the boundaries of their homes and families.

Ms Buttigieg is a Lead participant

However, a wide range of people has expressed strong reservations on various fronts. Within hours of the unveiling of the Bill by Health Minister Chris Fearne, harsh criticism surfaced, most notably from Opposition MPs who argued that the government cannot make unilateral decisions on such a sensitive issue. However, it is the government’s obligation to get issues, like IVF, on the table and encourage a healthy discussion.

This debate is not just for scientists or philosophers but also for society in general. In a world plagued by war, disease, starvation, murder and divisiveness, infertility and being involuntarily childless is undoubtedly low on the scale of tragedies. However, finding out you are infertile can be one of the most difficult situations you might ever have to face. Pregnancy is expected to be a natural phenomenon and something we just fall into, yet infertility is a huge issue for many. Unfortunately, public discussion on it is exceptionally meagre as it makes men and women look feeble and our culture does not allow that.

Only very recently have people started talking publicly for the first time about this issue. When you cannot have a baby you feel as if there is something wrong with you – and to a certain extent, there is. Like many other medical procedures, there is no guarantee that IVF will work for everyone and we have to keep getting that message across. It is a medical condition. People do not choose to be infertile. That is why I feel frustrated when seeing that part of our society choosing to remain deaf to the circumstances of these individuals.

The amendments to this Bill, as presented by the Labour government, reflect the magnitude of the social change we are living through. We do not have the right to have a child, but we do have the right to try for one, and so far, IVF has given many couples the chance to have a child of their own. The revamped IVF Bill will extend this right to other individuals in society whilst ensuring that this is done in a responsible manner and with eyes wide open. In addition, the inclusion of gamete donation will allow those struggling with fertility to start families. This process will fill a and realise that biology is no longer destiny in almost all aspects of our life, so that bearing children, and more importantly wanting children, has for some become a genuine and fulfilling choice?

For those who have remained childless for medical reasons or circumstance, the desire to have a child never goes away. This Bill addresses the desires of an otherwise invisible sector of society. It does not force anyone to make use of it, but rather it is an improvement on the current legislation. More importantly, it is about giving an opportunity that enables couples to move beyond their painful situation and, hopefully, start a family.

The proposed Bill is further proof that the government is putting into practice the principles of social equality, new civil liberties and progressive politics. Labour ventured where PN governments had dared not step and brought about a revolution in the sector. Society is changing and with it the concept of family. Perhaps it is time to acknowledge that today families exist in different forms and one of the best things a government can do is to include them all.