Hundreds of thousands of Australians are still dealing with the fallout of a shameful period in the country’s history, when unmarried women were forced to give up their babies.
The children were taken at birth from their mothers, who were mostly young women, between the 1950s and 1980s.
The practice of forced adoption, now considered illegal, was driven by a societal view—supported by authorities and the church—that unwed women were unfit to be mothers.
Although it is difficult to confirm numbers because of poor record-keeping, it’s estimated there could have been as many as 250,000 forced adoptions.
This week, parliament reflected on the 10-year anniversary of a national apology delivered by former prime minister Julia Gillard….