Table 3 Who should make the final decision and why?
Who makes the final decision? | Supporting quotes |
|---|---|
The father | The father has the final decision; He’s the only person who can say the final thing to either make me deliver or terminate it because he’s the family head [JHS 1,] The dad is the only person who has that authority to say I should give birth or terminate it because we have his name and besides, he’s the head of the family so before we do something, all of us ask his permission before we make the move [JHS 3] The girl’s father has the final say as to whether his daughter will abort the pregnancy or not. It is not the question of whether he cares for his daughter or not. The boy who impregnated the girl should not be involved at all because he has no right first of all to sleep with the girl to the point of making her pregnant [Parent 3]. |
The mother | Mothers have got a big role to play in the decision-making process. Mothers actually decide on the fate [Parent, M, 5] It is her mother who has the final say with her daughter’s pregnancy [JHS6] |
The two families | I think the parents from both sides should come together to agree on how best they can solve the problem [Parent, F, 10]. |
The girl herself | Nadine knew that becoming pregnant could result from having sex, so she should know what to do with the pregnancy if she gets pregnant. [Teacher, M, 2] She is the only person who decides what to do with her pregnancy. She went and slept with Johnson and knew she could get pregnant. So she has to have decided beforehand what she would do if she gets pregnant [JHS 3]. |
The partner | Yes, I think that she should let her boyfriend know about it, because he is the one who impregnated her; if she doesn’t tell him, and the pregnancy is advanced before she tells him, he will deny the pregnancy [Teacher, M, 5]. The one who has the final say is the man who impregnated the girl, whatever he says should be final. [Parent, F, 4] Nadine cannot decide for herself so she would have to decide with the boyfriend because he is responsible for the pregnancy. [Parent, M, 7] She needs her partner to sit by her to make the decision to abort it or keep it [Teacher, F, 6] |