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Child custody is something that should be decided on a case by case basis, according to what is best for the child and family concerned. That is impossible if the start point is an assumption that the mother is first choice for custody unless someone can give a compelling reason for her not to be.
At one time fathers were considered the last word in custody. Only if a child was still an infant, would custody be given to the mother and even then it wasn't a guarantee. That led to some appalling situations, given that men generally didn't do the child-rearing.
Assuming that the mother is automatically the better parent also opens the door to a great deal of misery. I know plenty of people who'd have been far better off if they'd been raised by their dads instead of their mums.
From the assumptions of the patriarchal rights of men, to assumptions of the natural mothering skills of women - both based on rigid concepts of gender and potentially damaging when applied to individual families.
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