The Only Problem with the Birth Rates is That They Aren’t Lower

The Only Problem with the Birth Rates is That They Aren’t Lower

In recent years, there has been an ongoing narrative in media outlets warning of the consequences of low birth rates, claiming that the economy and society will collapse as a result. These claims are part of a larger, male-driven propaganda campaign aimed at convincing women to become breeding machines for the state and corporate billionaires.

Falling birth rates raise prospect of sharp decline in living standards | Financial Times

The only real problem with the birth rates is that they are not low enough. The birth rate in every country is still far too high.

Take South Korea, for example. In 2024, the country recorded a birth rate of 0.68, the lowest ever on record. This means that, on average, 68% of women are still having children. 68% of women are still being forced to endure the excruciating pain of childbirth. 68% of women are tearing their bodies apart, at great cost to their mental and physical well-being. 68% of women are surrendering their lives to the demands of patriarchal society, all for the sake of fulfilling an outdated role that they did not choose. 68% of women experiencing this immense suffering is not a low amount.

No current birth rates in any countries are low enough. Even if they were to hit 0.5 or 0.4 somewhere, it would still be too high. The constant societal pressure to reproduce and the glorification of motherhood as a woman’s primary role actively harms women and puts them in a state of constant danger. For too long, women have been seen as nothing but vessels for reproduction, expected to carry the burden of male society on their backs.

We must work together to create a society where women are no longer defined by their ability to reproduce, where we can choose to live our lives on our own terms, free from the oppressive weight of pregnancy and childbirth. The only way forward is to continue pushing for a world in which birth rates are not merely lowered, but eradicated altogether. Only then, will we know true freedom. ♀