WE ARE CHILDFREE

In case you missed it, our Zo’s been GOING OFF about childfree people being blamed for falling birth rates 🔥 Her latest reel is busy blowing up the internet, and the comments have given us a lot to think about, and so much more to say!

Whenever we engage with pro-natalists about the “problem” of birth rate decline in the UK, US and similar countries, folks on our side rightly point out that people having fewer kids is a good thing 🙌

So true – women are delaying motherhood to take advantage of the other opportunities now open to them, and parents are deciding to have fewer kids out of concern for the planet. The countries where birth rates are falling are those responsible for the most consumption, and, given that our governments refuse to tackle the climate crisis, this could be our only hope for giving those children a future 🌎

Environmental concerns are one reason people choose to be childfree, like Emma, whose story we’re sharing this week. But the thing to remember when arguing with trolls online, or your drunk uncle IRL, is that birth rates are falling because parents are choosing smaller families. So IF you think this is a problem, trying to shame us into having kids isn’t the solution 🙅‍♀️

Besides, as this great article on The Conversation points out, the population in England and Wales at least is set to keep growing. Immigration helps – something most people feel positively about, despite populist fearmongering – as does supporting mothers to come back to work. The same people fretting about their broken economic model are those responsible for slashing social services, including affordable childcare – while it turns out the real answer is to support folks in their reproductive choices, whatever they may be.

Well played, feminism 👏