The mandatory registration of fathers on children's birth certificates has been an outstanding issue since the 1970s. Speaking in an interview with JIS, Dr. Patricia Holness, expressed that the amendments, if passed, will give the RGD “more work” to do in the initial stages.
"We found that the fathers in Jamaica are not as irresponsible as they are deemed to be. It is that we have not made it convenient for them to perform the civil act. So, we found that once we made it convenient, up went the percentage of fathers who added their particulars. We did an analysis and it showed that fathers who worked on ships, fishermen, persons who work in Canada and the United States as farm workers, 90 per cent of all the fathers who did not appear are within these areas".
Dr. Holness further notes that there is no resistance from fathers to have their particulars recorded on their child's birth certificate. However, she says there are a few who may have been promiscuous who would really have a challenge.
Figures for the financial year 2010/11 indicate that a total of 38,005 births have occurred. The data further indicates that 100 per cent of these births were registered and 72 per cent of fathers added their particulars at the time of registration, which has increased from under 30 per cent prior to bedside registration at January 2007. Since June 2011, fathers’ particulars have increased to 82 per cent.
She further stated that if the RGD makes birth registration “a little more comfortable,” then more fathers will be willing to perform their civil act of placing their names on their child’s birth certificate.
Dr. Holness also added that “we have examined other countries where this initiative has worked. Most mothers are aware of who the father of their child is and fathers are complying without coercion.
Mr. Fuderich, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Representative to Jamaica, commended the RGD for making significant strides since the implementation of the bedside registration programme in public and private hospitals as well as birthing centres. That was an example of a great policy decision that has great impact,” the UNICEF Representative says.
"Birth registration has resulted in approximately 99 per cent of parents receiving free first birth certificates when their newborn child is registered at beside with a name.
"What this means is that too many Jamaican children are losing out on one of their fundamental human rights. Every child has a right to birth registration. This is stated in Article Seven on the Conventions of the Rights of the Child (CRC). When Jamaica ratified the CRC in 1991, the country obligated itself to ensure that all children are registered immediately after birth.”
The bedside registration initiative, which aims to not only increase the number of birth registrations, but address the issue of fathers’ information being recorded on their children’s birth certificates, was implemented in 2007. Since the introduction of the programme, a total of 151,469 certificates were printed up to August 2011.
Source JIS