single moms

There are many ways to address declining populations. I wonder if this is one such initiative even though the article does not make any reference to this phenomenon.

The following BBC link gives a quick overview of how some European countries are tackling this issue http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4837422.stm

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'Give single women sperm donations'

Published: 27th February 2007 13:42 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/6539/

Single women in Sweden may soon be permitted to become pregnant using artificial insemination techniques. Five of the seven parliamentary parties are in favour of changing the current legislation to allow would-be single mothers to avail themselves of the services of sperm donors.

Two Liberal Party members of parliament, Birgitta Ohlsson and Barbro Westerholm, have joined forces with the Centre Party's Birgitta Sellén and Maria Kornevik Jakobsson to propose an amendment.
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The parliamentary social committee, due to meet on Tuesday, is expected to recommend that the government examines the matter fully, Dagens Nyheter reports.

While Sweden already allows artificial insemination for lesbian couples, single females wanting avail themselves of the same service must travel to neighbouring countries such as Denmark, Finland or Latvia.

"This is not something you take on without having thought it through properly," Tove Eriksson told Dagens Nyheter.

Eriksson, 38, has a 2-year-old son and another child on the way. The children are to have the same father, a Danish man neither they nor their mother will ever meet.

Children of lesbian couples on the other hand are entitled by law to find out the identity of their donor once they turn eighteen.

Only Sweden's Christian Democrats are openly opposed to artificial insemination for single women.

Social Democrat spokeswoman Ylva Johansson says that while there are "a number of question marks", her party would not rule out such an arrangement in the future.

According to Dagens Nyheter, the five remaining parties are in favour of changing the law to accommodate single women.