China's falling birth rate: Despite social pressure, women prefer independence • FRANCE 24 English

As the world's population reaches 8 billion inhabitants, China, the planet's most populous country, is suffering from a demographic crisis. In ten years, the number of births has halved. After four decades of the One Child Policy, the Chinese government now allows families to have two, sometimes even three children. But the policy reversal isn't enough to convince would-be parents. Education in China is one of the most expensive in the world and younger generations are turning down traditional family models. More and more women are prioritising their careers, despite social pressure. Our correspondents report.
#china #population #planet

[UppityOne]

Deciding to have a child is an economic decision. These ladies are smart enough to really think about the impact of having a child on their lives. Good for them.

[nothingmatters]

Oh, how the tables have turned. Families favored sons and daughters were considered as gift pigs. Now that there aren't as may women, the men are desperate, and the women can make the demands. Perhaps it will be a hard and painful lesson to those who believe that one is less than the other.

[Kraliezec]

If you can't afford a luxury mansion, you don't live in a luxury mansion. If you can't afford a child, you don't have a child. Why is it so difficult for policymakers to understand such a simple truth?

[jip]

We women just want to have a life. In order to raise children properly we have to basically sacrifice our lives and careers. I remember growing up seeing my mother exhausted and I don’t want to repeat her life. Having two kids even while married all the hard work and heavy lifting fell to my mom - and she had to work a full time job too

[TheWorldisSoDivided]

Don’t bring children into that kind of life.

[MayaMaya-tjkw]

Women don't want to be unpaid live in maids

[_John__]

I don't blame women one bit for not wanting to have anymore children. Better to save souls from this evil and cruel world.

[christins.]

Women can always donate their eggs and the men can care for the children and work at the same time.
What, they don't want to do that all by themselves? Now you know how women feel.

[honestgenz]

It's not just the women who refuse to have children, the young men also refuse because the environment simply isn't ideal for them. The one-child policy was just the start of the problems when so many families decided to abandon their daughters or have gender-based abortions creating a huge gender gap.

[MCC]

In China, there seems to be a lot of pressure given by the parents to their children to have children. Respect to the young people who have decided another way. It’s not easy to go against your parents.

[shaunmckenzie]

"What's the point of a woman with no children"

All I can say is thank God that generation is dying out

[triggered]

What’s interesting about womanhood is that this is pretty much the common denominator all over the planet. Societies failing to support and respect mothers in the labor market generally results in a decline in the birth rate. We would rather be childless with our careers than mothers with no financial independence. This is blatantly obvious because we are not changing despite social pressures. If the culture does not evolve to support women’s economic opportunities alongside motherhood, the population will just cease to exist.

And I’m here for all of it.

[Maybe-cgtn]

The world needs to stop trying to force women into birth they don't want.

[sirennoir]

Honestly it cost about 1000 USD a month for the basic extracurriculars in the US. I couldn't imagine paying for art class, piano, tutoring, and sports for 2 children. Honestly without the investment you cannot get your kids into a good college.

[dynasty]

Maybe it’s better that they’re not having kids.. look how they treat them

[harrybuttery]

Housing plays a big issue in this as well, not just in China but overseas too. If a couple has to spend 10 years working to save up for the deposit to buy a shoebox then they are not going to want to have many children or have the time to.

[phoenix]

It's good to see China finally valuing things like coding, sports, arts, and music education for their kids. Holistic education is good for a society.

[Don-ymcm]

Life is too expensive. The world is overpopulated anyway.

[miriamwells]

Poor women around the world are giving the finger..

[jannex]

Good job for these people, they are smart enough to think of the benefits of having no kids.