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Julia Gillard's adoption apology comes after an abyss of trauma Julia Gillard's adoption apology comes after an abyss of trauma
(6 months later)
Hundreds of mothers and their families gathered yesterday to hear a historic national apology from Australia's prime minister Julia Gillard. Forced to give up their babies, these women were among the thousands of young mothers who endured a cruel and often illegal approach by governments, churches, hospitals and charities towards pregnancy out of wedlock in Australia from the 1950s to the 1970s, whereby unmarried mothers were coerced or deceived into giving up their babies to adoption by married couples.Hundreds of mothers and their families gathered yesterday to hear a historic national apology from Australia's prime minister Julia Gillard. Forced to give up their babies, these women were among the thousands of young mothers who endured a cruel and often illegal approach by governments, churches, hospitals and charities towards pregnancy out of wedlock in Australia from the 1950s to the 1970s, whereby unmarried mothers were coerced or deceived into giving up their babies to adoption by married couples.
The national apology was one of the more beautiful and principled speeches given by a prime minister in Australia. "We deplore the shameful practices that denied you, the mothers, your fundamental rights and responsibilities to love and care for your children. You were not legally or socially acknowledged as their mothers. And you were yourselves deprived of care and support. To you, the mothers who were betrayed by a system that gave you no choice and subjected you to manipulation, mistreatment and malpractice, we apologise." Gillard was several times interrupted by outbursts of tearful applause. Her observations regarding what both mothers and fathers had lost were so evocative that members of the audience audibly sobbed as she spoke them: "too often they did not see their baby's face. They couldn't soothe his first cries. Never felt her warmth or smelt her skin. They could not give their own baby a name".The national apology was one of the more beautiful and principled speeches given by a prime minister in Australia. "We deplore the shameful practices that denied you, the mothers, your fundamental rights and responsibilities to love and care for your children. You were not legally or socially acknowledged as their mothers. And you were yourselves deprived of care and support. To you, the mothers who were betrayed by a system that gave you no choice and subjected you to manipulation, mistreatment and malpractice, we apologise." Gillard was several times interrupted by outbursts of tearful applause. Her observations regarding what both mothers and fathers had lost were so evocative that members of the audience audibly sobbed as she spoke them: "too often they did not see their baby's face. They couldn't soothe his first cries. Never felt her warmth or smelt her skin. They could not give their own baby a name".
The stories are nightmarish – from the abandonment by furious families of frightened, pregnant daughters into homes for wayward girls, to the truly excruciating accounts of the births themselves, where young girls were drugged during labour and forcibly restrained with pillows over their faces so they could not see their babies as they were born. It says something about how intentional the shattering of the maternal bond was that mother and baby were not even allowed to lay eyes upon one another.The stories are nightmarish – from the abandonment by furious families of frightened, pregnant daughters into homes for wayward girls, to the truly excruciating accounts of the births themselves, where young girls were drugged during labour and forcibly restrained with pillows over their faces so they could not see their babies as they were born. It says something about how intentional the shattering of the maternal bond was that mother and baby were not even allowed to lay eyes upon one another.
One mother interviewed in the Senate committee report described what it was like to know what was coming during your pregnancy:One mother interviewed in the Senate committee report described what it was like to know what was coming during your pregnancy:
"I'd lie in bed every night with my arms wrapped around my baby inside of me knowing that I would never hold him after birth. I'd feel his feet and hands through my own stomach as he moved around, knowing that I wasn't ever going to feel them after he was born. I'd talk to him and tell him that I would find him again one day and that I and his father loved him."
"I'd lie in bed every night with my arms wrapped around my baby inside of me knowing that I would never hold him after birth. I'd feel his feet and hands through my own stomach as he moved around, knowing that I wasn't ever going to feel them after he was born. I'd talk to him and tell him that I would find him again one day and that I and his father loved him."
The more young women resisted, the greater the malice against them – babies were pulled from clinging arms, moved to different hospitals, and dishonestly recorded as dead so as to stop young women continuing to fight for them. For the mothers who experienced these events, even the term "forced adoption" is too soft; "kidnapping newborn babies" is how they describe it.The more young women resisted, the greater the malice against them – babies were pulled from clinging arms, moved to different hospitals, and dishonestly recorded as dead so as to stop young women continuing to fight for them. For the mothers who experienced these events, even the term "forced adoption" is too soft; "kidnapping newborn babies" is how they describe it.
These stories illustrate a frightening capacity to dehumanise women from the institutions involved. That these women's own communities would believe mothers could possibly get past an experience like that, let alone forget it entirely upon leaving the hospital, is extraordinary. Not surprisingly, the experience of forced adoption has for many led to pathological levels of grief. An abyss of trauma opened up in their lives that engulfed the babies' fathers, other family members, future siblings, and in many cases even the adopting parents and adopted children themselves. One mother, Julienne, described her haunting loss: "I always felt the weight of a ghost baby on my arm and never left a room without feeling that I had left something behind".These stories illustrate a frightening capacity to dehumanise women from the institutions involved. That these women's own communities would believe mothers could possibly get past an experience like that, let alone forget it entirely upon leaving the hospital, is extraordinary. Not surprisingly, the experience of forced adoption has for many led to pathological levels of grief. An abyss of trauma opened up in their lives that engulfed the babies' fathers, other family members, future siblings, and in many cases even the adopting parents and adopted children themselves. One mother, Julienne, described her haunting loss: "I always felt the weight of a ghost baby on my arm and never left a room without feeling that I had left something behind".
Crucial feminist gains in recent history – like single parent benefits, increased female participation in the workforce, stronger reproductive rights, greater social acceptance of single parenting and a better understanding of the needs of children – have meant Australia's adoption practices are now far removed from this dark past. Open adoptions, higher assessment requirements for adopting parents and stringent consent mechanisms are all correcting previous injustices. But as with many countries, some mothers in Australia continue to fight against a shaky regard for their legitimacy as parents – including those mothers who are young, living in poverty, disabled or who are in prison.Crucial feminist gains in recent history – like single parent benefits, increased female participation in the workforce, stronger reproductive rights, greater social acceptance of single parenting and a better understanding of the needs of children – have meant Australia's adoption practices are now far removed from this dark past. Open adoptions, higher assessment requirements for adopting parents and stringent consent mechanisms are all correcting previous injustices. But as with many countries, some mothers in Australia continue to fight against a shaky regard for their legitimacy as parents – including those mothers who are young, living in poverty, disabled or who are in prison.
It must have been rewarding for the prime minister, a self-declared feminist, to deliver such important redress to mothers yesterday. There was genuine tenderness in the way she delivered the national apology – she has always been at her best when touched by emotion, whether it be outrage or compassion.It must have been rewarding for the prime minister, a self-declared feminist, to deliver such important redress to mothers yesterday. There was genuine tenderness in the way she delivered the national apology – she has always been at her best when touched by emotion, whether it be outrage or compassion.
Gillard received a standing ovation for the national apology, and was mobbed as she left the Great Hall. In a surreal and difficult day, she was then off to defend her leadership from an attack by divisive members of her own government, and the media lathered in excitement at the prospect of seeing her pulled down. She never lost her nerve.Gillard received a standing ovation for the national apology, and was mobbed as she left the Great Hall. In a surreal and difficult day, she was then off to defend her leadership from an attack by divisive members of her own government, and the media lathered in excitement at the prospect of seeing her pulled down. She never lost her nerve.
There is something telling about this course of events – that such a significant apology to women was overshadowed by yet another attempt to knock down the country's first female prime minister.There is something telling about this course of events – that such a significant apology to women was overshadowed by yet another attempt to knock down the country's first female prime minister.
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