Women cannot exercise their freedom if they cannot control their bodies and decide whether or not to become a Mother. Even today, the arguments made by the American Birth Control Activist and Writer Margaret Sanger ring true about Female Reproductive Rights. Do women have a say in the matter of birth rate?
Before the 1920s, a Birth Control movement developed in Western Countries out of Socialist, Feminist, and other radical groups concerned with Gender Equality, Female Rights, and Sexual Freedom. In the decades following 1920, the Birth Control movement gradually evolved into a non-radical reform movement. It received large grants from big businesses, with Female Reproduction Rights downplayed compared to Medical Health and Population Control.
But as the 1960s progressed, the Feminist Liberation Movement gained momentum parallel to the anti-war movements. An Oral Contraceptive Pill made Fertility Control highly effective for women as they experienced profound changes during this time. Though the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited employment and educational discrimination, played an integral role in enabling women to pursue professional careers, the Contraceptive Pill also played a significant role. It allowed women to postpone having children to pursue a professional path or a previously impossible college degree.
By the 1980s, the Chinese Government cited Birth Control and Family Planning. And by the late 1990s and early 2000s, many female activists in Asian countries engaged in several Feminist Liberation Movements, including Reproductive Rights. Abortion and Contraception carry a high socio-economic value in most developing countries, from South Korea and Japan to India.
Today, Female Reproductive Rights to determine how many and how often they have children is constantly resurfacing as an issue of Public Debate worldwide.
Female Reproductive Rights, including the freedom to decide when and whether to have children, are essential to ensure and support their socio-economic well-being and overall health. According to research, choosing one’s own reproductive life and the timing of their entry into parenthood are associated with improved relationship stability and satisfaction with their romantic partner. It also contributes to a more positive Childhood Development. Moreover, mothers with increased work experience and higher wages also play a significant role in childbearing.
However, Reproductive Rights, particularly for women, continue to be threatened, even more than two decades after the landmark International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo emphasized the importance of a fulfilling and safe sexual life, the ability to have children, and the right to decide when, where, and how many. In recent years, policies affecting Female Reproductive Rights have substantially changed worldwide. Some seek to increase birth rates through Maternity Policies; others favor a return to Population Control.
Fertility Rate
In many developing to underdeveloped countries, children work in the labor force and care for elderly parents. The fertility rate in such countries is higher due to a lack of knowledge about Contraceptive availability and low levels of Female Education. Alternatively, many developed nations tend to have a lower fertility rate than developing countries due to the Lifestyle Choices associated with Economic Affluence. Western mortality rates are low, Birth Control is accessible, and children often become a financial burden due to the cost of housing, education, and other factors. Therefore, countries like New Zealand, Sweden, and Canada provide numerous benefits to the parents to raise their children with various Childcare or Maternity Policies.
On the other hand, China implemented a One-Child Policy. It was designed to slow the country’s Population Growth which became effective in the 1980s. Consequently, the Vietnamese and Indian Governments have recently advocated for couples to have a Two-Child Policy with an interval of at least three to five years. And the Nigerian Government encourages pregnancies in the age group of 18-35, with an average of Four Children per family.
However, Fertility and Income also correlate to the prospect of monetary gain and the tendency to have children. The relationship between Fertility and Economic Development is generally inverse within and between nations.
For example, an educated population, subpopulation, or social class will have fewer children than a less educated or wealthy population. In other words, this cycle causes a Demographic-Economic Paradox with a Decline in the Birth Rate. Moreover, the USA, Britain, and Western Europe are not alone in having Declining Birth Rates. Japan, India, Argentina, and a few other countries are experiencing a similar trend despite lower levels of Economic Development.
Do women, however, have a say in how their bodies function?
Indeed, a Global Decline in Birth Rates is alarming since an aging population reduces Economic Growth and squeezes Government budgets. Yet, most countries under male leadership are primarily concerned with Birth Rates to increase their Population Growth.
Today, women in many developing nations, such as India and Latin America, whether they are single or married, are increasingly reluctant to give birth, as they are in many developed cultures. India is the second-most populous country worldwide, which speaks volumes about its high Birth Rate. Unfortunately, many of these children are orphans. They are born in slums below the poverty line, or suffer from poor health conditions due to financial constraints. Although many educated women now opt to have artificial insemination or adopt children who need a home over natural conception, some prefer not to have children. Besides, as Margaret Sanger once stated, the most urgent problem today is how to limit and discourage the over-fertility of the mentally and physically defective. And that applies even now, especially to developing and underdeveloped nations.
Political and Societal Pressure
Some Asian and African Countries have advocated for couples to have a Two-Child Policy in a three-to-five-year period. However, Political Leaders in developing countries view the Feminist Liberation Movement in regard to Reproductive Rights as a threat since no childbirth indicates a Declining Birth Rate, implying a paradigm shift in societal thinking influenced by the western lifestyle that could be detrimental.
Western authorities, meanwhile, strategize for reproduction and family life by introducing Fertility Treatments. They are also providing adequate Financial Support and supplementary benefits to pregnant women that will increase the Population Growth of their countries. Eastern countries such as South Korea, Japan, and a few Indian states are also pursuing similar strategies. Government assistance to mothers, no doubt, is a positive development since raising children is a full-time job. However, the Political Pressure and the Social Benefits of being a mother should not force women into having or not having children and determining how often they must have them.
Family Legacy and Domestic Circumstances
Apart from Societal Pressure, domestic circumstances can also affect women in some cases. According to some men, a woman can convey her love for her partner most effectively by bearing his child. Perhaps today, powerful women present a threat to these conservative men. In addition, her family and in-laws insist that she should provide them with grandchildren and continue the Family Legacy. Women do not necessarily have to have children to prove their commitment to their partners or the family inheritance.
Environment and Climate Change
In contrast, bringing a child into this world is considered the greatest sin of our day. Most couples, especially women, are more concerned about what their children will inherit in response to Global Climate Change, Environmental Degradation, Endemic Poverty, Global Recession, and Food Shortages. Climate change is real, the environment is deteriorating, and keeping a Low Birth Rate is the most sensible choice for the future. And there are multiple reports and research studies that support this.
However, dictating whether to have children or how many children a woman must have is just as incomprehensible.
No doubt, Global Climate Disruption will be the greatest threat to the ecology and biodiversity of the planet in the decades to come due to the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere caused by human activity. And people across the globe are responding to this problem by reducing carbon footprints, consuming less, and utilizing better technology. Humans, however, can overwhelm these efforts, leading researchers to conclude that the planet may need fewer feet in addition to smaller footprints.
Whether for Political Purposes, Demographic-Economic Paradox, or Community Expansion, guilt-tripping women into having or not having children is unacceptable. Every woman has the right to make her own choices, specifically on aspects of Motherhood, including healthy and positive Childhood Development!!