When population rates fall, women are blamed and pressure is put on them to have more children, which includes removing bodily autonomy. But population decline isn't necessarily a bad thing, as our planet can't sustain infinite growth.
https://www.wired.com/story/women-autonomy-birth-rates-gender-rights/
see Scientific American article:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/population-decline-will-change-the-world-for-the-better/
I think they're also being unfair blaming women for the falling birth rates when there's also a number of reports of declining sperm quality. (There's some evidence pointing to some insecticides. https://www.sciencealert.com/50-years-of-data-links-insecticides-to-global-decline-of-human-sperm-counts )
@alienghic@octodon.social @amydiehl@mstdn.social
Looking back in history, it was never the king who was at fault if no heirs were produced.
I mean yes there's been a whole lot of patriarchy in our history.
It's still likely the decline in human fertility has a host of causes. including ones that are impacting males.
Imagine a culture where people who really wanted to be parents of large families were respected and adequately supported with free childcare. A UBI complete with a pension plan and good public housing would also help. People who chose not to have children, or only 1 or 2, might sometimes also choose to be very involved extended family members who engage with those larger nuclear families a lot, both to provide support, but also to experience the joys of engaging with larger family groups.
The lack of support available to parents in a capitalist society and the atomised nuclear families we live in are the issue.
@amydiehl this is what I find incredibly frustrating here in Japan
We've been on the leading edge of depopulation for DECADES, and all the men in dark suits up in Tokyo have been able to figure out is to encourage women to have more babies to prop up the Ponzi scheme of national pension
Meanwhile, the country is actually becoming more livable for the smaller families we DO have, and most people don't want to go back
I didn't read a lick of this article. Why? People didn't loose their minds when the birth rate went down after the baby boom. & guess what happened? Second wave feminism happened. Women gained rights, not the other way around.
Anyone look at the census count lately? It's hard to even see the Gen X dip anymore thanks to immigration.
@amydiehl Definitely not a bad thing.
@amydiehl no idea why they are surprised. Capitalism is based on the idea of people making rational economic decisions based on their own assessment of value. Women are doing that.