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Taking a leap into single motherhood

An Indian woman who adopted a child talks to a Swedish woman who used a donor about the decision to become a single mother by choice.

There are many different routes to parenthood. For a growing number of women that route does not involve waiting for a partner to start a family. Kim Chakanetsa talks to two mothers by choice about the joys and challenges of single parenthood.

Marie Stern Olsson is from Sweden, where single mothers have only recently been given the same right as couples to access state-funded fertility treatments. She had her son through insemination in 2017. She believes that having a strong support network and a single parent-friendly welfare system made her choice possible.

Supriya Deverkonda is based in India, where single people are allowed to adopt children, but there is still a strong stigma around single mothers. In 2013 Supriya decided to adopt a 5-month-old baby, defying cultural stereotypes around traditional family and marriage. Eight years on, she is still having to deal with bureaucratic hurdles and scepticism, but she says she wouldn鈥檛 have it any other way.

Produced by Alice Gioia

IMAGE
(L) Marie Stern Olsson, courtesy of Marie Stern Olsson
(R) Supriya Deverkonda, credit Arti Anand

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27 minutes

Last on

Mon 4 Oct 2021 22:32GMT

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  • Mon 4 Oct 2021 03:32GMT
  • Mon 4 Oct 2021 04:32GMT
  • Mon 4 Oct 2021 10:32GMT
  • Mon 4 Oct 2021 21:32GMT
  • Mon 4 Oct 2021 22:32GMT

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