A father's rights advocacy group last night vowed to step up efforts to change the Island's court system which they perceive as discriminatory against men as parents.

ChildWatch, co-founded by Edward Tavares, 51, and Eddie Fisher, 57, was started roughly ten years ago primarily to protest alleged preferential treatment in the courts which, the group claims, supports women as preferred parents.

Now, the group is a registered charity and has shifted its focus to family prosperity. They are inviting the public to attend a series of programmes to highlight the consequences of a fatherless society.

"Our shift came about because many women started to get involved with our organisation," said Mr. Tavares, who also serves as the group's treasurer. "We now realise that our rights are not as important as our children's rights."

The belief that lawyers and courts are getting in between a child's right to be raised by two parents is vital to the organisation, which is also hoping for support from the public with time and money.

Mr. Tavares, a father of one, said: "For years fathers have been excluded from being a parent in the children's lives, through the Department of Social Services and access-denying mothers. It's their God-given right to be raised by both parents.

"It gets so expensive having to go to court, get a lawyer, make applications and the mother always wins no matter what."

He added: "Studies show that from birth, the child does better with the involvement of the father."

Mr. Fisher, a father-of-two and President of the group, continued: "The more important issue in Bermuda right now is there is an incredible fallout for our youth because the child is not being raised with the advantage of having the input from both parents."

Martha Dismont, executive director of The Family Centre, told The Royal Gazette that engaging fathers, especially loving fathers who are estranged from their children, is a priority of her organisation.

She too, spoke of the enduring damage many children will end up suffering from without the vital place of fathers, as well as the perceived court system bias. "Fathers and mothers each play a vital role in the life of a child," Mrs. Dismont reflected, "and many children suffer with pain and anger when a parent is estranged.

"Historically, court systems and social systems rule blindly in favour of mothers and we hope this is evolving to be geared toward including loving parents equally and protecting vulnerable children from neglect wherever that is needed.

"Parent conflict can create emotional insecurity and pain that leads to many negative side effects and behaviour challenges. Children need loving stable parents to develop well.

"You cannot generalise about what happens when they don't get that but you can say that it hurts them."

Mr. Fisher suggested society must "wake up" over the issue because it can carry pervasive adverse effects if the status quo is allowed to continue, such as breeding gangs and teen pregnancy.

"A child raised without a father is much more likely to be incarcerated, become pregnant as a teenager, much more likely to be involved in drugs or alcohol and gangs," he claimed.

"Where's the trade-off? Being breast-fed is important or ending up incarcerated is important?

"We're saying that everyone points to the breastfeeding but nobody wants to point to the increased rates of dysfunctional children we're producing by this insane, old-fashioned theory that only a mother can raise a child."

ChildWatch's first lecture will be held at St. Theresa's Hall, on Laffan Street on October 10, from 7 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. with the theme, "What happens to children and fathers".

Additionally, a workshop at the same location will follow on October 27, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon and is titled, "Educating families why children do better with shared parenting".

For more information log onto their web site at www.childwatch.bm or contact Edward Tavares at 334-8060 or Eddie Fisher at 234-2858.