1 00:00:05,240 --> 00:00:07,640 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Annie and Samantha and welcome to Stefan 2 00:00:07,760 --> 00:00:09,879 Speaker 1: never told you a production of iHeartRadio. 3 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:23,119 Speaker 2: And welcome and Happy Women's International Day, International Women's Day. 4 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:25,920 Speaker 2: That says it wrong, International Women's Day. 5 00:00:26,079 --> 00:00:29,320 Speaker 1: Annie, Yes, Happy International Women's Day to you as well. 6 00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:33,199 Speaker 2: And y'all, we are actually recording the day of just 7 00:00:33,240 --> 00:00:36,560 Speaker 2: to give you a time frame. Yes, this is March eighth, 8 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:42,120 Speaker 2: four and yeah, this is very current affairs, so everything 9 00:00:42,159 --> 00:00:45,720 Speaker 2: we speak of is going to be relatively current, so 10 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:47,839 Speaker 2: in the last couple of years for sure. But yeah, 11 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:51,960 Speaker 2: it's International Women's Day and what better day than to 12 00:00:52,040 --> 00:01:00,520 Speaker 2: talk about the declining birth rate? No, yeah, yes, that's 13 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:05,560 Speaker 2: a hell of an introduction, right, yes, definitely, And we're 14 00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:08,640 Speaker 2: gonna go ahead and put a content warning so we're 15 00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:12,280 Speaker 2: not necessarily talking about anything to a graphic, but there's 16 00:01:12,319 --> 00:01:16,160 Speaker 2: going to be a conversation about children and babies and 17 00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:21,120 Speaker 2: birthy and reproductive health. So there you go, and limited 18 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:23,720 Speaker 2: rights of women and marginalized communities. 19 00:01:24,480 --> 00:01:28,520 Speaker 1: All right, let's have ce Wenesday. 20 00:01:29,080 --> 00:01:31,040 Speaker 2: That's how we do it. So I think we talked 21 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:34,560 Speaker 2: about this actually this week. We always have these ideas 22 00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:40,480 Speaker 2: for our shows, and we oftentimes, especially me underestimate how 23 00:01:40,560 --> 00:01:44,120 Speaker 2: deep some of these topics run. I will say I 24 00:01:44,160 --> 00:01:48,520 Speaker 2: was able to do this one in one episode, I hope, 25 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 2: unless we get to really deep conversations, so I want 26 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:56,360 Speaker 2: to edit all that. But yes, uh, this is a 27 00:01:56,400 --> 00:01:59,640 Speaker 2: little larger than what I had, which we were going 28 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:03,320 Speaker 2: to do as a Monday mini because I've seen so 29 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:05,040 Speaker 2: many tiktoks about it and I was like, yes, we 30 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 2: need to talk about this, and I really thought that 31 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:10,359 Speaker 2: this specific topic was going to be a quick rundown 32 00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:14,200 Speaker 2: of the declining population and the people who have refused 33 00:02:14,200 --> 00:02:17,480 Speaker 2: to have more children as a form of protests to 34 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:20,360 Speaker 2: the ill treatment and constant abuse that they've had to 35 00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:23,720 Speaker 2: suffer at the hands of the patriarchy and misogynists in 36 00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:28,520 Speaker 2: Asian countries specifically. But as per usual, while doing the research, 37 00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:32,800 Speaker 2: we found some connections, some disturbing connections all around the 38 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:35,720 Speaker 2: world on how politicians and people in power i e. 39 00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:39,079 Speaker 2: Men in power and racists are trying to find against 40 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:40,960 Speaker 2: people who can get pregnant and who are choosing not 41 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:46,320 Speaker 2: to have children. So we've had several episodes talking about 42 00:02:46,320 --> 00:02:49,520 Speaker 2: different perspectives on choosing whether or not to have children. 43 00:02:49,919 --> 00:02:52,360 Speaker 2: People who are not physically able to have children and 44 00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:55,120 Speaker 2: for those who do have children, the good, the bad, 45 00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:59,840 Speaker 2: the difficulties, and the rewards. We've talked about the sexism, racism, 46 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:03,080 Speaker 2: able ism, and so many other isms when it comes 47 00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:06,160 Speaker 2: to the overturning of Roe v. Wade and all the 48 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:10,359 Speaker 2: other violations that are part of the aftermath. Go back 49 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:14,320 Speaker 2: to our recent episode on the Comstock Act. But today 50 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:17,800 Speaker 2: we're not just talking about those who have decided to 51 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:21,240 Speaker 2: go gett societal norms and not star families, which is 52 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:25,440 Speaker 2: causing a decline in birthsen and the population, but also 53 00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:28,240 Speaker 2: talking about the link between the declining birth rate and 54 00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:31,320 Speaker 2: current abortion bands that are happening today. And that's just 55 00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:34,360 Speaker 2: a really minor part in this, but we thought it 56 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:37,960 Speaker 2: was important to talk about it because the link is there, 57 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:40,560 Speaker 2: the connections are there, and we need to have a 58 00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:43,800 Speaker 2: broader conversation about that and where we're going with this 59 00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:47,760 Speaker 2: and where it is getting frightening. It's been frightening. So 60 00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:51,000 Speaker 2: with all of that, let's talk numbers. We love some numbers. 61 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:54,080 Speaker 2: According to recent reports and data, the number of people 62 00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:57,920 Speaker 2: choosing not to have children has caused a significant decline 63 00:03:58,080 --> 00:04:01,600 Speaker 2: of the birth rates, so much so that many governments 64 00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:06,040 Speaker 2: are approaching panic. To try to adjust those numbers and 65 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:08,400 Speaker 2: to help us discuss this topic, we wanted to add 66 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:13,360 Speaker 2: this quote from visualcapitalist dot com titles charted the rapid 67 00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:17,400 Speaker 2: decline of global birth rates, which differentiates birth rate and 68 00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:21,279 Speaker 2: fertility rate so quote. Birth rates are commonly measured using 69 00:04:21,279 --> 00:04:24,720 Speaker 2: a metric called the crude birth rate or CBR, which 70 00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:28,200 Speaker 2: represents the number of live births per one thousand individuals 71 00:04:28,279 --> 00:04:32,240 Speaker 2: in a given population during a specific period, usually one year. 72 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:36,039 Speaker 2: The measured decline in CBR is also a result of 73 00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:39,560 Speaker 2: plummeting fertility rates across the globe. Not to be confused 74 00:04:39,560 --> 00:04:42,800 Speaker 2: with birth rates, fertility rates measure how many children a 75 00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:46,200 Speaker 2: woman will have over the course of her lifetime. While 76 00:04:46,240 --> 00:04:49,800 Speaker 2: the country's birth rate is directly impacted by the fertility rate, 77 00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:53,719 Speaker 2: it also takes into account other factors population size, a 78 00:04:53,839 --> 00:04:58,800 Speaker 2: structure of the population, access to contraception, cultural norms, government policies, 79 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:00,600 Speaker 2: and socioeconomic. 80 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:03,880 Speaker 1: So with that, a research article that we found on 81 00:05:03,920 --> 00:05:09,640 Speaker 1: the United Nations Population's fund Are UNFPA titled policy responses 82 00:05:09,640 --> 00:05:13,520 Speaker 1: to low Fertility? How effective are they? Says quote. In 83 00:05:13,560 --> 00:05:17,440 Speaker 1: the last three decades, sub replacement fertility has spread around 84 00:05:17,440 --> 00:05:21,599 Speaker 1: the world one half of the global population today lives 85 00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:25,159 Speaker 1: in countries where the period total fertility rate is below 86 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:29,080 Speaker 1: two point one burst per woman. East Asia, Southern Europe, 87 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:33,119 Speaker 1: and parts of Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe reached ultra 88 00:05:33,240 --> 00:05:37,279 Speaker 1: low fertility rates, with the period total fertility at one 89 00:05:37,720 --> 00:05:40,240 Speaker 1: to one point four and family size at one point 90 00:05:40,279 --> 00:05:43,200 Speaker 1: four to one point six verths per woman born in 91 00:05:43,240 --> 00:05:44,839 Speaker 1: the mid nineteen seventies. 92 00:05:45,480 --> 00:05:48,680 Speaker 2: Right, and the information that was released in twenty twenty 93 00:05:48,760 --> 00:05:51,719 Speaker 2: three seems to only confirm these ideas, so that was 94 00:05:51,720 --> 00:05:55,640 Speaker 2: from twenty nineteen. According to the same Visualcapitalist dot com, 95 00:05:56,080 --> 00:05:58,640 Speaker 2: every country on the list has seen a decline in 96 00:05:58,720 --> 00:06:02,000 Speaker 2: birth rates in the last seventy years, with some declines 97 00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:05,880 Speaker 2: more staggering than the others. For example, China recorded forty 98 00:06:05,880 --> 00:06:09,280 Speaker 2: one births per one thousand people in nineteen fifty. By 99 00:06:09,360 --> 00:06:12,120 Speaker 2: twenty twenty one, that number had fallen to just seven 100 00:06:12,160 --> 00:06:15,640 Speaker 2: point six at an eighty one percent decrease. South Korea, 101 00:06:15,839 --> 00:06:18,320 Speaker 2: the twenty ninth most populous country in the world in 102 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:22,080 Speaker 2: twenty twenty one, saw an even larger eighty six percent 103 00:06:22,200 --> 00:06:25,679 Speaker 2: drop in its birth rates since nineteen fifty. In fact, 104 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:29,159 Speaker 2: almost every single country in this data set has seen 105 00:06:29,200 --> 00:06:31,400 Speaker 2: a double digit fall in their birth rates over the 106 00:06:31,440 --> 00:06:35,080 Speaker 2: past seventy years. Only the Democratic Republic of Congo has 107 00:06:35,120 --> 00:06:38,279 Speaker 2: seen a single digit percentage decline between nineteen fifty and 108 00:06:38,320 --> 00:06:43,080 Speaker 2: twenty twenty one. And you know what's happening with the DRC. 109 00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:46,520 Speaker 2: So I feel like those numbers are askewed. And the 110 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:49,400 Speaker 2: list they show or talk about is quote a snapshot 111 00:06:49,440 --> 00:06:52,479 Speaker 2: of the CBR for the forty nine most populous countries 112 00:06:52,480 --> 00:06:55,200 Speaker 2: of the world at different years from nineteen fifty to 113 00:06:55,240 --> 00:06:57,520 Speaker 2: twenty twenty one. Just to add some contexts, right. 114 00:06:58,080 --> 00:07:00,440 Speaker 1: The Economists featured in an article in twenty two three 115 00:07:00,480 --> 00:07:03,880 Speaker 1: addressing the possible consequences of the declining birth rate. The 116 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:06,560 Speaker 1: article says, quote, and they're roughly two hundred and fifty 117 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:10,600 Speaker 1: years since the Industrial Revolution. The world's population, like its wealth, 118 00:07:10,800 --> 00:07:13,800 Speaker 1: has exploded. Before the end of the century, however, the 119 00:07:13,880 --> 00:07:16,720 Speaker 1: number of people on the planet could shrink for the 120 00:07:16,760 --> 00:07:20,440 Speaker 1: first time since the Black Death. The root cause is 121 00:07:20,480 --> 00:07:23,240 Speaker 1: not a surge in deaths, but a slump and burse 122 00:07:24,680 --> 00:07:27,160 Speaker 1: across much of the world. The fertility rate, the average 123 00:07:27,240 --> 00:07:31,160 Speaker 1: number of burst per woman, is collapsing, and it continues 124 00:07:31,280 --> 00:07:33,760 Speaker 1: quote in two thousand, the world's fertility rate was two 125 00:07:33,800 --> 00:07:37,440 Speaker 1: point seven burst per woman, comfortably above the replacement rate 126 00:07:37,560 --> 00:07:40,440 Speaker 1: of two point one at which a population is stable. 127 00:07:40,680 --> 00:07:44,040 Speaker 1: Today it is two point three and falling. The largest 128 00:07:44,080 --> 00:07:47,840 Speaker 1: fifteen countries by GDP all have a fertility rate below 129 00:07:47,920 --> 00:07:51,480 Speaker 1: the replacement rate. That includes America and much of the 130 00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:54,760 Speaker 1: rich world, but also China and India, neither of which 131 00:07:54,800 --> 00:07:57,240 Speaker 1: is rich, but which together account for more than a 132 00:07:57,320 --> 00:08:01,560 Speaker 1: third of global population. The result is that in much 133 00:08:01,560 --> 00:08:04,080 Speaker 1: of the world, the patter of tiny feet is being 134 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:07,120 Speaker 1: drowned out by the clatter of walking sticks. The prime 135 00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:10,520 Speaker 1: examples of Asian countries are no longer just Japan and Italy, 136 00:08:10,800 --> 00:08:15,040 Speaker 1: but also include Brazil, Mexico, and Thailand. By twenty thirty, 137 00:08:15,080 --> 00:08:18,240 Speaker 1: more than half the inhabitants of East and Southeast Asia 138 00:08:18,280 --> 00:08:20,880 Speaker 1: will be over forty. As the old dye and are 139 00:08:20,880 --> 00:08:25,240 Speaker 1: not fully replaced, populations are likely to shrink. Outside Africa, 140 00:08:25,320 --> 00:08:27,960 Speaker 1: the world's population is forecast to peak in the twenty 141 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:31,080 Speaker 1: fifties and end the centuries smaller than it is today. 142 00:08:31,520 --> 00:08:35,079 Speaker 1: Even in Africa, the fertility rate is falling fast. 143 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:38,280 Speaker 2: So of course, the reasons behind the lower birth rates 144 00:08:38,320 --> 00:08:42,400 Speaker 2: may differ all over the world, as does the possible solutions, 145 00:08:42,520 --> 00:08:46,199 Speaker 2: But according to the earlier article from UNFPA, quote, among 146 00:08:46,280 --> 00:08:50,079 Speaker 2: the main drivers of low fertility is the incompatibility between 147 00:08:50,080 --> 00:08:53,840 Speaker 2: professional career and family life. In times of women's massive 148 00:08:53,960 --> 00:08:57,839 Speaker 2: post secondary education and labor force participation on the one hand, 149 00:08:57,960 --> 00:09:01,840 Speaker 2: and rising individualistic aspirations on the other hand, the inability 150 00:09:01,880 --> 00:09:05,400 Speaker 2: to combine paid work with child rearing often results in 151 00:09:05,480 --> 00:09:09,720 Speaker 2: childlessness or having one child only. This is closely connected 152 00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:14,760 Speaker 2: with persistent gender inequalities and housework divisions. For decades, societies 153 00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:18,320 Speaker 2: with strong traditional gender role norms have been continuously witnessing 154 00:09:18,520 --> 00:09:22,720 Speaker 2: very low fertility. More recent factors contributing to fertility decline 155 00:09:22,720 --> 00:09:25,960 Speaker 2: include the trend towards intensive parenting, as well as labor 156 00:09:25,960 --> 00:09:31,520 Speaker 2: market uncertainty and instability coupled with soaring house prices. And 157 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:35,079 Speaker 2: though some narratives may try to point at feminism and 158 00:09:35,120 --> 00:09:37,560 Speaker 2: it's kind of true and the overall lack of desire 159 00:09:37,559 --> 00:09:39,920 Speaker 2: for children in the first place as the reason for 160 00:09:39,960 --> 00:09:43,320 Speaker 2: birth rates declining, there's a lot of research showing that 161 00:09:43,360 --> 00:09:46,280 Speaker 2: desirability for children hasn't gone down at all. 162 00:09:56,640 --> 00:09:59,880 Speaker 1: Yeah. I actually read an interesting article kind of relating 163 00:09:59,920 --> 00:10:03,160 Speaker 1: to to this the other day about how a lot 164 00:10:03,200 --> 00:10:05,040 Speaker 1: of parents can only afford to have one kid, like 165 00:10:05,040 --> 00:10:06,840 Speaker 1: they want kids, but they can only have the run. 166 00:10:06,960 --> 00:10:12,000 Speaker 1: So there's this like really big explosion of single only children. 167 00:10:12,800 --> 00:10:15,199 Speaker 1: But that puts pressure on them because, at least in 168 00:10:15,240 --> 00:10:17,959 Speaker 1: the US, a lot of times the children have to 169 00:10:18,040 --> 00:10:20,840 Speaker 1: pay for your parents when they get older, when they 170 00:10:20,880 --> 00:10:25,679 Speaker 1: get sicker, and so it's sort of causing this this 171 00:10:25,800 --> 00:10:31,240 Speaker 1: really negative effect of these kids not being able to 172 00:10:31,280 --> 00:10:35,480 Speaker 1: afford that and kind of getting really in bad financial 173 00:10:35,520 --> 00:10:39,280 Speaker 1: situations because they're the only child, which is right, A 174 00:10:39,320 --> 00:10:41,439 Speaker 1: lot of that situation is messed up anyway, Like we 175 00:10:41,480 --> 00:10:45,000 Speaker 1: shouldn't write our medical system in the US is not 176 00:10:45,040 --> 00:10:48,480 Speaker 1: good exactly but exactly. I thought that was interesting because 177 00:10:48,480 --> 00:10:50,080 Speaker 1: I hadn't really considered that before. 178 00:10:50,520 --> 00:10:53,000 Speaker 2: Well, I've definitely been told many times, who's going to 179 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:54,040 Speaker 2: take care of you when you were old? 180 00:10:54,320 --> 00:10:56,679 Speaker 1: Yes, me too, exactly how are you going. 181 00:10:56,679 --> 00:10:57,880 Speaker 2: To be all alone? 182 00:10:57,960 --> 00:11:06,400 Speaker 1: I think? Mom? Thanks? Okay, Well, here's a quote from 183 00:11:06,480 --> 00:11:09,280 Speaker 1: the Conversation dot com about the US birth rates and 184 00:11:09,320 --> 00:11:12,440 Speaker 1: some data they had found during their research. Quote. We 185 00:11:12,480 --> 00:11:17,080 Speaker 1: found remarkable consistency and childbearing goals across cohorts. For example, 186 00:11:17,160 --> 00:11:19,400 Speaker 1: if we look at teenage girls in the nineteen eighties, 187 00:11:19,720 --> 00:11:23,640 Speaker 1: the cohort born in nineteen sixty five to sixty nine, 188 00:11:23,679 --> 00:11:26,199 Speaker 1: they planned to have two point two children on average. 189 00:11:26,440 --> 00:11:29,199 Speaker 1: Among the same age group in the early twenty first century, 190 00:11:29,280 --> 00:11:32,160 Speaker 1: the cohort born in nineteen ninety five to nineteen ninety 191 00:11:32,280 --> 00:11:35,760 Speaker 1: nine girls intended to have two point one children on average. 192 00:11:35,760 --> 00:11:38,559 Speaker 1: Slightly more young people planned to have no children now 193 00:11:38,600 --> 00:11:41,640 Speaker 1: than thirty years ago, but still the vast majority of 194 00:11:41,720 --> 00:11:44,640 Speaker 1: US young adults planned to have kids, around eighty eight 195 00:11:44,640 --> 00:11:48,600 Speaker 1: percent of teenage girls and eighty nine percent of teenage boys. 196 00:11:49,320 --> 00:11:52,040 Speaker 1: We also found that as they themselves get older, people 197 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:55,839 Speaker 1: plan to have fewer children, but not by much. This 198 00:11:55,880 --> 00:11:59,640 Speaker 1: pattern was also pretty consistent across cohorts among those born 199 00:11:59,640 --> 00:12:02,160 Speaker 1: in nighte teen seventy five to seventy nine. For instance, 200 00:12:02,280 --> 00:12:04,640 Speaker 1: men and women when they were twenty to twenty four 201 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:07,440 Speaker 1: planned to have an average of two point three and 202 00:12:07,480 --> 00:12:11,960 Speaker 1: two point five children, respectively. These averages fell slightly to 203 00:12:12,040 --> 00:12:14,400 Speaker 1: two point one children for men and two point two 204 00:12:14,480 --> 00:12:17,480 Speaker 1: children for women by the time respondents for thirty five 205 00:12:17,520 --> 00:12:21,880 Speaker 1: to thirty nine. Still, overwhelmingly most Americans plan to have children, 206 00:12:21,960 --> 00:12:24,720 Speaker 1: and the average intended number of children is right around. 207 00:12:24,480 --> 00:12:26,800 Speaker 2: Two Right and I think you and I have talked 208 00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:30,600 Speaker 2: about when we saw ourselves in early twenties, we really 209 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:34,960 Speaker 2: thought by twenty five we would have two children. I 210 00:12:35,040 --> 00:12:37,880 Speaker 2: had two children in mind, it had to be an 211 00:12:37,880 --> 00:12:40,240 Speaker 2: even number. And I just saw TikTok about that about 212 00:12:40,240 --> 00:12:42,199 Speaker 2: how like because one of them will be alone of 213 00:12:42,320 --> 00:12:45,360 Speaker 2: activities are like if they have to ride a plane 214 00:12:45,440 --> 00:12:47,640 Speaker 2: and then you have to separate, like all these things 215 00:12:47,840 --> 00:12:50,439 Speaker 2: about wanting to have either two or four to make 216 00:12:50,440 --> 00:12:53,720 Speaker 2: sure that didn't happen, And I was like, yeah, and 217 00:12:53,760 --> 00:12:55,960 Speaker 2: also like the middle child syndrome, the fact that you 218 00:12:55,960 --> 00:12:58,080 Speaker 2: don't want to have one middle child of the three 219 00:12:58,120 --> 00:13:00,160 Speaker 2: because that's too traumatic. At least have two so I. 220 00:13:00,120 --> 00:13:03,040 Speaker 1: Can bond as a middle child. 221 00:13:05,559 --> 00:13:07,280 Speaker 2: Of course I would not. I'd never plan to have 222 00:13:07,320 --> 00:13:10,840 Speaker 2: a big family. I also had said that it would 223 00:13:10,880 --> 00:13:14,199 Speaker 2: depend on my husband, like even being very much into 224 00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:17,839 Speaker 2: the like the Jesus world, I knew that if I 225 00:13:17,880 --> 00:13:21,199 Speaker 2: was doing this alone, Hellna. 226 00:13:21,040 --> 00:13:25,160 Speaker 1: Right, Yeah, I mean that's another factor to consider in 227 00:13:25,200 --> 00:13:26,120 Speaker 1: this conversation. 228 00:13:26,600 --> 00:13:28,560 Speaker 2: Right, But I really did think that I was going 229 00:13:28,600 --> 00:13:30,959 Speaker 2: to have that many children. And then as I get 230 00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:33,440 Speaker 2: older and older, and at this point it's almost almost 231 00:13:33,440 --> 00:13:35,960 Speaker 2: too late, I say, not really but because like I 232 00:13:35,960 --> 00:13:39,240 Speaker 2: have friends my age who just had children. I'm like, congratulations, 233 00:13:39,240 --> 00:13:40,720 Speaker 2: and they're all happy and healthy, and I love that 234 00:13:40,760 --> 00:13:44,600 Speaker 2: for them. But like, up until recently, like the last 235 00:13:44,600 --> 00:13:47,640 Speaker 2: three four years, I could not have afforded. I was 236 00:13:47,720 --> 00:13:50,880 Speaker 2: living with people, I was actually having roommates. So there's 237 00:13:50,960 --> 00:13:53,240 Speaker 2: no way to me that I could have actually had 238 00:13:53,280 --> 00:13:55,760 Speaker 2: a child to pay for all the things and had 239 00:13:55,760 --> 00:13:59,840 Speaker 2: a full time job, and like the amount of responsibility 240 00:14:00,280 --> 00:14:03,800 Speaker 2: to me was too much, and just the thought of 241 00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:05,200 Speaker 2: it made me have a panic attack. 242 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:11,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's one of the things that frustrates me the most. 243 00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:14,959 Speaker 1: And I'll see sort of the like millennials or whatever 244 00:14:15,080 --> 00:14:18,240 Speaker 1: generation that's younger is rooting everything. They're not buying houses, 245 00:14:18,240 --> 00:14:20,760 Speaker 1: they're not getting kids, Like we can't afford it, right, 246 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:24,480 Speaker 1: I mean, this is different. I'm sure plenty of people 247 00:14:24,520 --> 00:14:26,760 Speaker 1: would like to, but actually it's kind of a responsible 248 00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:30,040 Speaker 1: decision to be like, you know what, I can't afford it. 249 00:14:30,040 --> 00:14:33,000 Speaker 1: It's sad if you want kids and you can't afford them, 250 00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:37,000 Speaker 1: but it is thought is going into it of like Okay, 251 00:14:37,040 --> 00:14:38,400 Speaker 1: I can't do this right now. 252 00:14:38,760 --> 00:14:40,760 Speaker 2: And I'm sure many people will be like we turned 253 00:14:40,760 --> 00:14:42,680 Speaker 2: out fine. We weren't rich all these things, But then 254 00:14:42,680 --> 00:14:44,080 Speaker 2: you also have to be like, yeah, but there's also 255 00:14:44,080 --> 00:14:47,160 Speaker 2: a lot of trauma, not a lot of people who 256 00:14:47,200 --> 00:14:51,440 Speaker 2: are not okay, So I just don't forget that far, Like, yes, 257 00:14:51,840 --> 00:14:54,240 Speaker 2: for sure, absolutely, And this is not even adding on 258 00:14:54,280 --> 00:14:57,040 Speaker 2: to like health issues. So if you are a disabled 259 00:14:57,080 --> 00:15:01,800 Speaker 2: individual trying to manage all of that on top of like, 260 00:15:01,840 --> 00:15:04,480 Speaker 2: there's so many two points to this conversation that we 261 00:15:05,080 --> 00:15:07,240 Speaker 2: even leave out because all of these studies and all 262 00:15:07,280 --> 00:15:08,720 Speaker 2: of these incentives and I should have put this at 263 00:15:08,720 --> 00:15:12,560 Speaker 2: the top, are very much based on a heteronormative CISC 264 00:15:12,560 --> 00:15:15,840 Speaker 2: couple and an ablistic idea that they are perfectly able 265 00:15:15,840 --> 00:15:20,000 Speaker 2: to have children without complications. So because yeah, one of 266 00:15:20,040 --> 00:15:21,480 Speaker 2: the things that we are not going to mention, and 267 00:15:21,480 --> 00:15:24,280 Speaker 2: here's the medical expenses, which should be one of the 268 00:15:24,400 --> 00:15:28,320 Speaker 2: number one things because well, the US being the biggest 269 00:15:28,320 --> 00:15:33,280 Speaker 2: problem with like sulbsized healthcare anyway, mumble mumble, because the 270 00:15:33,280 --> 00:15:37,440 Speaker 2: healthcare sucks. But when we talk about that in general, 271 00:15:37,520 --> 00:15:40,280 Speaker 2: that the cost of all of that is also a problem, 272 00:15:40,320 --> 00:15:42,800 Speaker 2: but we don't mention that here. And again when we're 273 00:15:42,840 --> 00:15:46,680 Speaker 2: talking about these who they are actually going after especially 274 00:15:48,040 --> 00:15:52,840 Speaker 2: and these countries they're going after a heteronormative couples because 275 00:15:53,400 --> 00:15:55,840 Speaker 2: we don't mention it. But like Japanese government is not 276 00:15:55,920 --> 00:15:59,120 Speaker 2: focused at all on the queer community, as in fact, 277 00:15:59,280 --> 00:16:01,280 Speaker 2: it's almost like doubling down saying that they don't need 278 00:16:01,360 --> 00:16:06,440 Speaker 2: rights at one point. So just a reminder. Yeah, and 279 00:16:06,480 --> 00:16:09,560 Speaker 2: along with all the facts found in the UNFPA article, 280 00:16:10,240 --> 00:16:12,560 Speaker 2: it speaks to the fact that many couples are waiting 281 00:16:12,840 --> 00:16:15,680 Speaker 2: much later to have children, which may limit the amount 282 00:16:15,720 --> 00:16:18,960 Speaker 2: of because they intend to have they write compared with 283 00:16:19,080 --> 00:16:23,280 Speaker 2: earlier eras people today start having their children later, these 284 00:16:23,280 --> 00:16:28,240 Speaker 2: delays also contribute to declining birth rates. Because people start later, 285 00:16:28,360 --> 00:16:30,720 Speaker 2: they have less time to meet their child bearing goals 286 00:16:30,920 --> 00:16:34,800 Speaker 2: before they reach biological or social age limits for having kids. 287 00:16:34,920 --> 00:16:37,480 Speaker 2: As people wait longer to start having children, they are 288 00:16:37,520 --> 00:16:40,200 Speaker 2: also more likely to change their minds about parenting. 289 00:16:40,280 --> 00:16:45,560 Speaker 1: And yes, that's where I am, y'all. But they also 290 00:16:45,720 --> 00:16:49,240 Speaker 1: note that the reasons stated earlier were very much linked 291 00:16:49,280 --> 00:16:52,320 Speaker 1: to the decline. The article continues, but why are people 292 00:16:52,360 --> 00:16:55,600 Speaker 1: getting a later start on having kids? We hypothesize that 293 00:16:55,640 --> 00:16:58,840 Speaker 1: Americans see parenthood is harder to manage than they might 294 00:16:58,960 --> 00:17:02,560 Speaker 1: have in the past. Although the US economy overall recovered 295 00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:06,359 Speaker 1: after the Great Recession. Many young people in particular feel 296 00:17:06,480 --> 00:17:09,440 Speaker 1: uncertain about their ability to achieve some of the things 297 00:17:09,480 --> 00:17:13,320 Speaker 1: they see as necessary for having children, including a good job, 298 00:17:13,400 --> 00:17:17,760 Speaker 1: a staple relationship, and safe, affordable housing. At the same time, 299 00:17:17,880 --> 00:17:20,920 Speaker 1: the cost of raising children, from childcare and housing to 300 00:17:21,000 --> 00:17:25,880 Speaker 1: college education are rising, and parents may feel more pressure 301 00:17:25,960 --> 00:17:29,359 Speaker 1: to live up to high intensive parenting standards and prepare 302 00:17:29,359 --> 00:17:31,480 Speaker 1: their children for an uncertain world. 303 00:17:32,359 --> 00:17:36,239 Speaker 2: Yeah, all of that is absolute reasons for me that 304 00:17:36,280 --> 00:17:38,680 Speaker 2: I decided I did not want to have children. Now 305 00:17:39,280 --> 00:17:41,600 Speaker 2: we've gotten the general numbers and facts, so we've got 306 00:17:41,600 --> 00:17:43,880 Speaker 2: a good base. We're going to look more closely at 307 00:17:43,880 --> 00:17:46,560 Speaker 2: some of the countries that have been making headlines when 308 00:17:46,600 --> 00:17:50,119 Speaker 2: it comes to this conversation, and we will start with 309 00:17:50,160 --> 00:17:53,080 Speaker 2: the original idea behind this episode of the Asian countries, 310 00:17:53,080 --> 00:17:55,640 Speaker 2: and we're only focused on three majors. Don't come at 311 00:17:55,640 --> 00:17:57,320 Speaker 2: me because there's so much more out there. But we 312 00:17:57,320 --> 00:17:59,760 Speaker 2: were just trying to get examples, and we're talking about 313 00:17:59,760 --> 00:18:02,760 Speaker 2: the way men who've made a not so subtle statement, 314 00:18:03,520 --> 00:18:06,520 Speaker 2: you know, Like we've talked a little bit about the 315 00:18:06,560 --> 00:18:09,520 Speaker 2: feminist movement in South Korea and the activists who've been 316 00:18:09,520 --> 00:18:12,400 Speaker 2: fighting back against at an administration that has been using 317 00:18:12,600 --> 00:18:16,400 Speaker 2: every misogynistic tactic to reverse a lot of the work 318 00:18:16,400 --> 00:18:18,760 Speaker 2: that seemed to be happening once upon a time when 319 00:18:18,760 --> 00:18:22,680 Speaker 2: it came to moving forward in feminism and that included 320 00:18:22,720 --> 00:18:25,040 Speaker 2: the four BE Movement. Check out our Feminists around the 321 00:18:25,040 --> 00:18:28,320 Speaker 2: World episode we talked about, but just as a quicker reminder, 322 00:18:28,359 --> 00:18:30,879 Speaker 2: the four BE movement is the four Nos, which originated 323 00:18:30,920 --> 00:18:35,120 Speaker 2: in twenty eighteen twenty nineteen, according to Like being public 324 00:18:35,920 --> 00:18:38,440 Speaker 2: and stands for no sex with men, no child rearing, 325 00:18:38,480 --> 00:18:42,080 Speaker 2: no dating men, and no marriage to men. And although 326 00:18:42,119 --> 00:18:44,719 Speaker 2: this is a simple version of what the overall movement means, 327 00:18:44,840 --> 00:18:48,040 Speaker 2: the stance is to amplify the stark disadvantage is placed 328 00:18:48,080 --> 00:18:50,480 Speaker 2: on women in the nation, as well as the overall 329 00:18:50,520 --> 00:18:53,800 Speaker 2: abusive nature of the patriarchal state of the country. And 330 00:18:53,960 --> 00:18:57,000 Speaker 2: this with the attributing factors we mentioned before, it's not 331 00:18:57,040 --> 00:19:00,199 Speaker 2: surprising that South Korea is currently the number one country 332 00:19:00,320 --> 00:19:02,919 Speaker 2: with the lowest current birth rate in the world, and 333 00:19:02,960 --> 00:19:05,720 Speaker 2: it's been like that for about three four years. 334 00:19:06,920 --> 00:19:10,680 Speaker 1: Well. According to a recent BBC article published this month, 335 00:19:11,119 --> 00:19:13,520 Speaker 1: South Korea has the lowest birth rate in the world 336 00:19:13,560 --> 00:19:17,320 Speaker 1: and it continues to plummet, beating its own staggeringly low 337 00:19:17,359 --> 00:19:21,320 Speaker 1: record year after year. Figures released on Wednesdays show it 338 00:19:21,359 --> 00:19:24,320 Speaker 1: fell by another eight percent and twenty twenty three to 339 00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:27,600 Speaker 1: zero point seven to two. This refers to the number 340 00:19:27,600 --> 00:19:29,720 Speaker 1: of children a woman is expected to have in her 341 00:19:29,760 --> 00:19:33,040 Speaker 1: lifetime for a population to hold study, that number should 342 00:19:33,080 --> 00:19:37,200 Speaker 1: be two point one. If this trend continues, Korea's population 343 00:19:37,320 --> 00:19:40,680 Speaker 1: is estimated to have by the year twenty one hundred. 344 00:19:41,480 --> 00:19:44,399 Speaker 2: Right, I don't know where North Korea comes into the 345 00:19:44,400 --> 00:19:48,879 Speaker 2: play with this. I'm guessing it doesn't because the statistics 346 00:19:48,960 --> 00:19:54,080 Speaker 2: aren't from there. But that's that's that's drastic and honestly, yeah, 347 00:19:54,119 --> 00:19:56,440 Speaker 2: like we said, this may be one of those situations 348 00:19:56,560 --> 00:20:01,840 Speaker 2: where they could blame feminism for the declining population because 349 00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:04,840 Speaker 2: the people they've had enough for many of the women 350 00:20:04,880 --> 00:20:06,920 Speaker 2: in Korea, they have learned that having a child could 351 00:20:06,920 --> 00:20:10,399 Speaker 2: not only be adding on more responsibility, but also cost 352 00:20:10,440 --> 00:20:14,879 Speaker 2: them their job, their independence, and overall their freedom. According 353 00:20:14,920 --> 00:20:17,320 Speaker 2: to the same BBC article, they say the Korean women 354 00:20:17,480 --> 00:20:20,880 Speaker 2: know too much. Essentially, One twenty eight year old woman 355 00:20:20,880 --> 00:20:23,280 Speaker 2: who worked in HR said she's seen people who were 356 00:20:23,280 --> 00:20:25,520 Speaker 2: forced to leave their jobs or who were passed over 357 00:20:25,560 --> 00:20:29,120 Speaker 2: for promotions after taking a maternity leave, which had been 358 00:20:29,320 --> 00:20:32,640 Speaker 2: enough to convince her to never have a baby. Korean 359 00:20:32,680 --> 00:20:35,439 Speaker 2: women are the most highly educated of those in the 360 00:20:35,440 --> 00:20:39,399 Speaker 2: OECD countries, and yet the country has the worst gender 361 00:20:39,400 --> 00:20:42,160 Speaker 2: pay gap in a higher than average proportion of women 362 00:20:42,240 --> 00:20:46,480 Speaker 2: out of work compared to men. Researchers say this proves 363 00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:50,080 Speaker 2: they're being presented with a trade off have a career 364 00:20:50,240 --> 00:20:54,120 Speaker 2: or have a family. Increasingly they are choosing a career, 365 00:20:54,560 --> 00:20:57,040 Speaker 2: and for those who would gladly choose family over career, 366 00:20:57,440 --> 00:21:00,000 Speaker 2: they can't afford to do it. The article will continue. 367 00:21:00,280 --> 00:21:03,600 Speaker 2: More than half the population live in or around the 368 00:21:03,640 --> 00:21:07,320 Speaker 2: capital Soul, which is where the vast majority of opportunities are, 369 00:21:07,760 --> 00:21:12,480 Speaker 2: creating huge pressure on apartments and resources. Soul's birth rate 370 00:21:12,520 --> 00:21:15,640 Speaker 2: has sunk to zero point five point five, the lowest 371 00:21:15,640 --> 00:21:18,560 Speaker 2: in the country. Then there's the cost of private education. 372 00:21:19,720 --> 00:21:23,240 Speaker 2: While unaffordable housing is a problem the world over. This 373 00:21:23,280 --> 00:21:26,240 Speaker 2: is what makes Korea truly unique. 374 00:21:26,320 --> 00:21:30,000 Speaker 1: But housing isn't the only problem. The price for education 375 00:21:30,080 --> 00:21:33,879 Speaker 1: for children also adds up. Here's another quote from the 376 00:21:33,920 --> 00:21:36,239 Speaker 1: age of four. Children are sent to an array of 377 00:21:36,280 --> 00:21:41,080 Speaker 1: expensive extracurricular classes, from mass and English to music. In taekwondo. 378 00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:44,720 Speaker 1: The practice is so widespread that to opt out is 379 00:21:44,760 --> 00:21:48,520 Speaker 1: seen as setting your child up to fail, an inconceivable 380 00:21:48,560 --> 00:21:51,640 Speaker 1: notion in hyper competitive Korea, this has made it the 381 00:21:51,680 --> 00:21:54,840 Speaker 1: most expensive country in the world to raise a child. 382 00:21:55,160 --> 00:21:57,960 Speaker 1: A twenty twenty two study found that only two percent 383 00:21:58,000 --> 00:22:00,720 Speaker 1: of parents did not pay for private too days well 384 00:22:00,840 --> 00:22:03,880 Speaker 1: ninety four percent said it was a financial burden. 385 00:22:04,760 --> 00:22:08,679 Speaker 2: And y'all, if you've watched any K dramas, you know 386 00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:11,280 Speaker 2: this is true. Like people will get real really like 387 00:22:11,880 --> 00:22:14,040 Speaker 2: people have died according to the K dramas. 388 00:22:14,320 --> 00:22:16,840 Speaker 1: Oh my goodness. 389 00:22:16,119 --> 00:22:18,479 Speaker 2: Trying to get these kids into these classes, and like 390 00:22:18,720 --> 00:22:21,639 Speaker 2: it's it is like, from what I understand, people private 391 00:22:21,680 --> 00:22:26,479 Speaker 2: tutors who are acclaimed they're almost as famous as K 392 00:22:26,560 --> 00:22:30,879 Speaker 2: pop people like wow, education is very valued and we've 393 00:22:30,960 --> 00:22:32,679 Speaker 2: kind of always known this to the point that it 394 00:22:32,760 --> 00:22:37,840 Speaker 2: became a joke. But it is costly, which I'm like, huh. 395 00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:39,600 Speaker 2: I always think, I'm like, what, I've been one of 396 00:22:39,600 --> 00:22:42,399 Speaker 2: those two percent that didn't make it. Probably oh sad me. 397 00:22:42,880 --> 00:22:46,880 Speaker 2: And of course this all comes with the expectation that 398 00:22:46,920 --> 00:22:50,480 Speaker 2: women will continue their level of housework and child rearing 399 00:22:50,560 --> 00:22:53,080 Speaker 2: at the same time. Is helping with income. That BBC 400 00:22:53,240 --> 00:22:58,120 Speaker 2: article continues, over the past fifty years, Korea's economy has 401 00:22:58,160 --> 00:23:02,879 Speaker 2: developed a breaknext propelling women into higher education and the 402 00:23:02,920 --> 00:23:06,720 Speaker 2: workforce and explaining their ambition, But the roles of wife 403 00:23:06,800 --> 00:23:09,960 Speaker 2: and mother have not evolved at nearly the same price. 404 00:23:10,320 --> 00:23:13,320 Speaker 2: And still I think there's a whole thing about in 405 00:23:13,400 --> 00:23:16,280 Speaker 2: laws too, and who takes care of them, and it's 406 00:23:16,280 --> 00:23:19,840 Speaker 2: the wife. Like it's this like over the top understanding 407 00:23:19,840 --> 00:23:21,840 Speaker 2: that you are taking over not only your own household 408 00:23:21,840 --> 00:23:26,200 Speaker 2: but his household. And in some respect that tradition is 409 00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:30,600 Speaker 2: still pretty steeped. And the government I've seen it coming 410 00:23:30,720 --> 00:23:33,359 Speaker 2: and instead of seeing that they need to actually talk 411 00:23:33,640 --> 00:23:36,400 Speaker 2: to those that's affected by it. But the most they 412 00:23:36,440 --> 00:23:38,600 Speaker 2: try to throw some money at their problems. 413 00:23:39,080 --> 00:23:54,320 Speaker 1: Of course, here's the quote from a March twenty twenty 414 00:23:54,359 --> 00:23:58,480 Speaker 1: four article published in Time dot com. President Moonjayan launched 415 00:23:58,520 --> 00:24:02,160 Speaker 1: several policies to try and incentivize women to have more children, 416 00:24:02,440 --> 00:24:06,560 Speaker 1: including cash incentives for families. Under the scheme, every child 417 00:24:06,640 --> 00:24:09,760 Speaker 1: born from twenty twenty two onwards receives a cash bonus 418 00:24:09,920 --> 00:24:13,520 Speaker 1: of two million, one eight hundred and fifty US dollars 419 00:24:13,840 --> 00:24:17,439 Speaker 1: to help cover prenatal expenses. In addition to a monthly 420 00:24:17,480 --> 00:24:20,440 Speaker 1: payout that increases every month until the baby turns one. 421 00:24:20,920 --> 00:24:25,120 Speaker 1: Other incentives include free day care, subsidized pay during childcare leave, 422 00:24:25,440 --> 00:24:29,159 Speaker 1: and even group blind dates for public servants to try 423 00:24:29,200 --> 00:24:30,800 Speaker 1: and match make couples. 424 00:24:31,280 --> 00:24:32,520 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, so they can help. 425 00:24:32,840 --> 00:24:32,919 Speaker 1: So. 426 00:24:33,119 --> 00:24:36,080 Speaker 2: In fact, the country has spent an estimated two hundred 427 00:24:36,240 --> 00:24:39,960 Speaker 2: billion US dollars to try to fix this problem, but 428 00:24:40,160 --> 00:24:44,240 Speaker 2: as of today hasn't resulted to any changes, and they've 429 00:24:44,240 --> 00:24:49,000 Speaker 2: tried other solutions, including hiring nannies from Southeast Asian countries 430 00:24:49,080 --> 00:24:55,199 Speaker 2: and paying them below minimum wage gross gross, trying to 431 00:24:55,240 --> 00:24:59,479 Speaker 2: incentivize exempting men from military services if they have children 432 00:24:59,680 --> 00:25:03,040 Speaker 2: when at the under the age of thirty, which sounds 433 00:25:03,040 --> 00:25:06,239 Speaker 2: like a misdirect but apparently, according to another study, men 434 00:25:06,320 --> 00:25:08,840 Speaker 2: are part of the big problem too as well, maybe 435 00:25:08,920 --> 00:25:13,240 Speaker 2: because they can't find women. I don't know, but I 436 00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:17,359 Speaker 2: said that and other texts like this. But it wasn't 437 00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:20,040 Speaker 2: until just recently that the politicians, and I mean like 438 00:25:20,320 --> 00:25:24,639 Speaker 2: twenty twenty three, that the politicians realize that maybe talking 439 00:25:24,680 --> 00:25:28,119 Speaker 2: to the citizens, specifically women or those who can give birth, 440 00:25:28,600 --> 00:25:31,639 Speaker 2: may be helpful. And yeah, in the past year they 441 00:25:31,640 --> 00:25:34,560 Speaker 2: have been going around the country talking to the younger generations. 442 00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:37,520 Speaker 2: But yeah, still no results as of yet that we have. 443 00:25:37,560 --> 00:25:39,080 Speaker 1: Seen or talked about. 444 00:25:39,240 --> 00:25:41,639 Speaker 2: I haven't seen any published saying that that's helping and 445 00:25:41,680 --> 00:25:44,399 Speaker 2: anybody's changing their minds, because most of them are not. 446 00:25:46,240 --> 00:25:49,399 Speaker 2: And China has been going through a similar decline. Of course, 447 00:25:49,920 --> 00:25:53,880 Speaker 2: the history of China and babies not good. Not good. 448 00:25:54,480 --> 00:25:57,920 Speaker 2: In nineteen eighty, the Chinese government implemented the one child policy, 449 00:25:58,000 --> 00:26:01,240 Speaker 2: which was so strict that women were into situations they 450 00:26:01,240 --> 00:26:04,359 Speaker 2: did not choose for themselves. According to an article written 451 00:26:04,359 --> 00:26:07,280 Speaker 2: for the Global Institute of Women's Leadership, a Chinese researcher wrote, 452 00:26:07,320 --> 00:26:10,879 Speaker 2: for thirty five years from nineteen eighty to twenty fifteen, 453 00:26:10,960 --> 00:26:15,520 Speaker 2: the Chinese government maintained a one child policy, subjecting millions 454 00:26:15,520 --> 00:26:19,240 Speaker 2: of women to force contraception, for sterilization, and forced abortion, 455 00:26:20,119 --> 00:26:22,359 Speaker 2: and there have been stories about the level of cruelty 456 00:26:22,480 --> 00:26:24,919 Speaker 2: the government would use in order to maintain that one 457 00:26:25,040 --> 00:26:29,400 Speaker 2: child policy, including killing, the killing of newborn infants, kidnapping 458 00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:32,119 Speaker 2: of women if they had were on their second or 459 00:26:32,160 --> 00:26:35,680 Speaker 2: more pregnancy, or even taking family members of the pregnant 460 00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:40,479 Speaker 2: person as hostages if that expectant person was in hiding, 461 00:26:40,720 --> 00:26:44,000 Speaker 2: so they went all out, and it was in twenty sixteen, 462 00:26:44,160 --> 00:26:47,399 Speaker 2: a year after they dropped the one child policy, the 463 00:26:47,440 --> 00:26:50,280 Speaker 2: government increased it to two and it now has risen 464 00:26:50,320 --> 00:26:53,399 Speaker 2: to a three child policy, allowing people to have up 465 00:26:53,400 --> 00:26:56,639 Speaker 2: to three children now right, But. 466 00:26:58,600 --> 00:27:01,240 Speaker 1: There are many who are so ch traumatized by the 467 00:27:01,280 --> 00:27:05,720 Speaker 1: past policies that they still live as if they are 468 00:27:05,760 --> 00:27:09,040 Speaker 1: still under those policies. Here's a quote from an article 469 00:27:09,240 --> 00:27:13,880 Speaker 1: from NPR. The policy permeates through Chinese society in other, 470 00:27:14,040 --> 00:27:18,280 Speaker 1: sometimes unexpected ways, because many prioritized having a son over 471 00:27:18,320 --> 00:27:22,160 Speaker 1: a daughter. Orphotages experienced a surge, and baby girls who 472 00:27:22,160 --> 00:27:25,520 Speaker 1: are abandoned or put up for adoption. Singles Day, China's 473 00:27:25,560 --> 00:27:28,760 Speaker 1: biggest online shopping holiday akin to Black Friday in the US, 474 00:27:29,200 --> 00:27:32,040 Speaker 1: is a recognition of the many bachelors who are unable 475 00:27:32,080 --> 00:27:34,879 Speaker 1: to find partners in a gender skewed society. 476 00:27:35,600 --> 00:27:37,160 Speaker 2: So that could be part of the reason. It could be, 477 00:27:37,560 --> 00:27:39,600 Speaker 2: But the understanding is also there's still kind of a 478 00:27:39,640 --> 00:27:46,400 Speaker 2: preference to men two boys, which doesn't make sense. Yeah, 479 00:27:46,560 --> 00:27:50,800 Speaker 2: and the greatest scream of things, But I digress. And 480 00:27:50,880 --> 00:27:53,440 Speaker 2: though they have changed the policy since then and now 481 00:27:53,440 --> 00:27:55,560 Speaker 2: seem to recognize that there may be a problem with 482 00:27:55,600 --> 00:27:58,520 Speaker 2: the fact that the population has declined. They have been 483 00:27:59,160 --> 00:28:02,280 Speaker 2: second largest. For the past few years, India has been 484 00:28:02,359 --> 00:28:04,760 Speaker 2: number one for the most populous, which seems to be 485 00:28:04,800 --> 00:28:07,879 Speaker 2: a blow to the nation's ego. That surprised me, how 486 00:28:07,920 --> 00:28:10,240 Speaker 2: figured that's what they wanted. But okay, but their new 487 00:28:10,280 --> 00:28:12,280 Speaker 2: policies hasn't changed the birthway. 488 00:28:12,600 --> 00:28:16,080 Speaker 1: Yes, adding on to the imbalance of gender in the population, 489 00:28:16,200 --> 00:28:19,040 Speaker 1: the cost of living in gender inequality has also affected 490 00:28:19,040 --> 00:28:23,360 Speaker 1: the numbers, much like South Korea. According to CNBC, as 491 00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:26,320 Speaker 1: more women attain higher qualifications and rise up the ranks 492 00:28:26,320 --> 00:28:28,800 Speaker 1: in the workplace, they expect their husbands to earn more 493 00:28:28,840 --> 00:28:32,160 Speaker 1: than them. In twenty twenty, female students accounted for almost 494 00:28:32,240 --> 00:28:35,680 Speaker 1: forty two percent of doctorate degree enrollment and a significantly 495 00:28:35,720 --> 00:28:39,120 Speaker 1: higher number of women enrolled for a master's degree than men. 496 00:28:39,400 --> 00:28:40,880 Speaker 1: Satista data showed. 497 00:28:41,120 --> 00:28:43,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, and of course, so that means people have been 498 00:28:44,720 --> 00:28:48,200 Speaker 2: twosier when it comes to finding their man, to the 499 00:28:48,240 --> 00:28:52,120 Speaker 2: point that people have been throwing money people, governments and 500 00:28:52,320 --> 00:28:55,440 Speaker 2: corporations haven't thrown money at men to make them look 501 00:28:55,520 --> 00:28:58,880 Speaker 2: better for mating purposes. Like, I don't know how else 502 00:28:58,880 --> 00:28:59,320 Speaker 2: to say that. 503 00:29:02,200 --> 00:29:07,200 Speaker 1: I mean, you're right, but it sounds so like documentary. 504 00:29:06,760 --> 00:29:10,040 Speaker 2: Nafety cut is this is where we're going at and 505 00:29:10,200 --> 00:29:13,400 Speaker 2: just as a reminder, but this still is the expectation 506 00:29:13,480 --> 00:29:16,680 Speaker 2: that women will take on all the household work and 507 00:29:16,720 --> 00:29:21,320 Speaker 2: that women have less rights and will be responsible for 508 00:29:21,360 --> 00:29:26,600 Speaker 2: this entirety of growth of populations essentially, and of course 509 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:29,480 Speaker 2: add to that the rising costs of housing and supplies 510 00:29:29,640 --> 00:29:32,240 Speaker 2: as we talked about earlier, along with the increase of 511 00:29:32,320 --> 00:29:35,240 Speaker 2: children allowed per household, the government and even corporations have 512 00:29:35,320 --> 00:29:37,520 Speaker 2: tried to add incentives for people to have more children. 513 00:29:37,680 --> 00:29:41,120 Speaker 2: Trip dot Com has tried to help with the situation. Specifically, 514 00:29:41,440 --> 00:29:44,560 Speaker 2: according to that same CNBC article, trip dot com is 515 00:29:44,640 --> 00:29:47,600 Speaker 2: one Chinese company that takes pride in trying to encourage 516 00:29:47,640 --> 00:29:51,239 Speaker 2: more women to have children. In an organization where more 517 00:29:51,280 --> 00:29:53,960 Speaker 2: than half of its thirty thousand employees are women, the 518 00:29:54,080 --> 00:29:57,000 Speaker 2: online travel agency came up with its own solution to 519 00:29:57,080 --> 00:30:00,320 Speaker 2: encourage women in the company to have more children, and 520 00:30:00,360 --> 00:30:02,840 Speaker 2: a part of that instead of is offering subsidies to 521 00:30:03,000 --> 00:30:06,240 Speaker 2: help with the cost of freezing eggs, which actually kind 522 00:30:06,240 --> 00:30:09,600 Speaker 2: of smart to me, Yeah, because they do talk about 523 00:30:09,600 --> 00:30:13,200 Speaker 2: the fact that that time frame that women specifically use 524 00:30:13,680 --> 00:30:17,280 Speaker 2: to get their career and all that stabilized is that, 525 00:30:17,520 --> 00:30:20,640 Speaker 2: you know, I guess the critical time, but it's a 526 00:30:20,680 --> 00:30:25,160 Speaker 2: short time, so they can actually help them pause that process. 527 00:30:25,520 --> 00:30:27,640 Speaker 2: Maybe that will increase in the likelihood that they will 528 00:30:27,640 --> 00:30:30,040 Speaker 2: have children later on. They were talking about this and 529 00:30:30,440 --> 00:30:35,360 Speaker 2: they helped by giving this money, which ranges from fifteen 530 00:30:35,440 --> 00:30:39,760 Speaker 2: thousand dollars to three hundred thousand dollars. Again, kind of 531 00:30:39,760 --> 00:30:42,320 Speaker 2: a smart idea. I might have done that, to be honest, 532 00:30:42,360 --> 00:30:45,200 Speaker 2: not now with the IVF stuff in the US. No, 533 00:30:45,480 --> 00:30:47,560 Speaker 2: but you know, like this is like to me, it's 534 00:30:47,560 --> 00:30:48,640 Speaker 2: one of the smart plans. 535 00:30:48,720 --> 00:30:49,160 Speaker 1: I don't know. 536 00:30:50,640 --> 00:30:52,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah. 537 00:30:52,320 --> 00:30:55,040 Speaker 1: I saw a flyer once at my university. I was like, 538 00:30:55,080 --> 00:30:57,080 Speaker 1: we'll pay you this much money to freeze your eggs. 539 00:30:57,120 --> 00:30:58,520 Speaker 1: And I thought about it, but then I was like, 540 00:30:59,120 --> 00:31:00,760 Speaker 1: why I. 541 00:31:00,640 --> 00:31:02,280 Speaker 2: Had people who said they want my eggs. 542 00:31:02,760 --> 00:31:05,080 Speaker 1: Oh, they would pay you for your eggs? 543 00:31:05,280 --> 00:31:11,480 Speaker 2: Really, you know, you know you didn't get those the only. 544 00:31:11,360 --> 00:31:13,960 Speaker 1: One I mean, I saw a flyer. I don't recall an. 545 00:31:15,480 --> 00:31:18,840 Speaker 2: I got an email like okay, okay, Like I was 546 00:31:18,880 --> 00:31:20,960 Speaker 2: like what and I thought about it for a split seconds, 547 00:31:21,040 --> 00:31:23,200 Speaker 2: not gonna lie, like, but they wanted white babies, so 548 00:31:23,880 --> 00:31:24,320 Speaker 2: didn't help. 549 00:31:28,320 --> 00:31:31,520 Speaker 1: Well, the government has tried a few tactics as well. 550 00:31:31,520 --> 00:31:35,320 Speaker 1: Going back to China. According to Time Quote, Chinese government 551 00:31:35,360 --> 00:31:38,760 Speaker 1: also tried to introduce new policies to encourage couples to 552 00:31:38,840 --> 00:31:42,680 Speaker 1: have more children, enhance childcare, and improve housing facilities for 553 00:31:42,800 --> 00:31:47,560 Speaker 1: families with children. Recently, some academics have even proposed taxing 554 00:31:47,600 --> 00:31:51,240 Speaker 1: couples for having too few children while making access to 555 00:31:51,280 --> 00:31:56,040 Speaker 1: abortion and divorce harder. M and yeah pay attention to 556 00:31:56,080 --> 00:32:00,320 Speaker 1: that last part, limiting access to divorce and abortions right. 557 00:32:00,680 --> 00:32:04,120 Speaker 2: So. The Japanese birth rate has also been greatly declining, 558 00:32:04,520 --> 00:32:06,720 Speaker 2: very similar to South Korea. Many have chosen not to 559 00:32:06,760 --> 00:32:09,680 Speaker 2: have children due to the inequality and gender rights and opportunities, 560 00:32:09,960 --> 00:32:12,800 Speaker 2: as well as the overall financial burden of having a family. 561 00:32:13,320 --> 00:32:17,480 Speaker 1: According to financialpolicy dot com quote, today Japanese women on 562 00:32:17,560 --> 00:32:20,480 Speaker 1: average have just one point twenty six children, far below 563 00:32:20,560 --> 00:32:23,440 Speaker 1: the rate of two point one children per woman, considered 564 00:32:23,440 --> 00:32:27,320 Speaker 1: by demographers as necessary to maintain a stable population. Up 565 00:32:27,400 --> 00:32:30,200 Speaker 1: to forty percent of adult Japanese women and fifty percent 566 00:32:30,280 --> 00:32:34,000 Speaker 1: of men will not have children in their lifetime according 567 00:32:34,040 --> 00:32:36,200 Speaker 1: to government estimates. 568 00:32:36,120 --> 00:32:38,920 Speaker 2: And again, much like South Korea, a lot of the 569 00:32:38,960 --> 00:32:41,520 Speaker 2: reasons boiled down to the cost of living, cost of 570 00:32:41,600 --> 00:32:44,160 Speaker 2: education for children, and according to the same foreign policy 571 00:32:44,160 --> 00:32:47,479 Speaker 2: dot Com article, the cost for childcare alone in Japan 572 00:32:47,600 --> 00:32:50,600 Speaker 2: for two children is about half the earnings of a 573 00:32:50,680 --> 00:32:55,120 Speaker 2: couple who have full time incomes, and the wages have 574 00:32:55,240 --> 00:32:59,160 Speaker 2: barely been raised in the past thirty years, so significant amount. 575 00:33:00,040 --> 00:33:02,320 Speaker 2: And just the overall lack of interest in being married, 576 00:33:02,680 --> 00:33:06,040 Speaker 2: although that could also have something to do with the affordability. 577 00:33:06,560 --> 00:33:09,440 Speaker 2: So here's another quote from Foreign policy dot Com. It's 578 00:33:09,560 --> 00:33:13,280 Speaker 2: not just the desire to have children that's diminished. Surveys 579 00:33:13,280 --> 00:33:18,440 Speaker 2: point to waning interest in relationships and sex, especially among 580 00:33:18,600 --> 00:33:22,440 Speaker 2: young people. For Haruku Sakamato, a researcher at the Department 581 00:33:22,480 --> 00:33:25,520 Speaker 2: of Global Health Policies at the University of Tokyo, this 582 00:33:25,800 --> 00:33:30,080 Speaker 2: too is an economic story. Young people, she explained, simply 583 00:33:30,080 --> 00:33:32,680 Speaker 2: do not earn enough to plan for the long term, 584 00:33:32,880 --> 00:33:36,560 Speaker 2: making stable relationships seem far fetched. She says, while in 585 00:33:36,600 --> 00:33:40,080 Speaker 2: the past people have explained Japan's low sex and relationship 586 00:33:40,080 --> 00:33:43,840 Speaker 2: culture as steaming from interest in anime and fictional characters 587 00:33:43,840 --> 00:33:48,000 Speaker 2: that supplant interest in real life relationships, is actually an 588 00:33:48,040 --> 00:33:51,160 Speaker 2: economic issue. I just really like that they blame the 589 00:33:51,160 --> 00:33:56,680 Speaker 2: anime on this. So and the article continues. Michika uit 590 00:33:56,720 --> 00:34:00,200 Speaker 2: A Balmer, a political scientist at Syracuse University in the 591 00:34:00,280 --> 00:34:04,440 Speaker 2: US who studies social isolation among Japanese youth, said, many 592 00:34:04,520 --> 00:34:08,319 Speaker 2: young Japanese women would like to get buried, but they 593 00:34:08,360 --> 00:34:11,840 Speaker 2: simply cannot afford it. Survey data shows that young people 594 00:34:11,960 --> 00:34:16,040 Speaker 2: don't have the financial stability necessarity build themselves as a 595 00:34:16,120 --> 00:34:19,840 Speaker 2: viable partner. The result is that people don't get married. 596 00:34:20,280 --> 00:34:22,520 Speaker 2: And because Japan has the lowest rate of children born 597 00:34:22,560 --> 00:34:26,439 Speaker 2: outside of marriage among developed countries, this also means they 598 00:34:26,719 --> 00:34:32,319 Speaker 2: are unlikely to have children. So in twenty thirteen, they 599 00:34:32,320 --> 00:34:36,400 Speaker 2: had what was considered women nomics policies, which quote promised 600 00:34:36,440 --> 00:34:39,239 Speaker 2: to integrate women into the workforce and propel them to 601 00:34:39,320 --> 00:34:47,000 Speaker 2: hire paying jobs. But the policy hasn't solved women's economic problems. So, 602 00:34:47,160 --> 00:34:50,840 Speaker 2: like many other nations, women were not only responsible for 603 00:34:50,880 --> 00:34:53,200 Speaker 2: the house, home, and children, but they also took on 604 00:34:53,239 --> 00:34:55,399 Speaker 2: the financial responsibility abortion as well. 605 00:34:55,719 --> 00:34:59,120 Speaker 1: Here's another quote in the Age of Women Nomics, Japanese 606 00:34:59,160 --> 00:35:02,240 Speaker 1: women are caught in a double bind. High living costs 607 00:35:02,280 --> 00:35:04,960 Speaker 1: mean they are no longer expected to stop working once 608 00:35:04,960 --> 00:35:07,760 Speaker 1: they have children, Yet because they still bear the brunt 609 00:35:07,760 --> 00:35:11,799 Speaker 1: of domestic work. Even Japan's generous parental leap benefits, which 610 00:35:11,840 --> 00:35:14,680 Speaker 1: few men choose to take, are not enough to insulate 611 00:35:14,719 --> 00:35:16,840 Speaker 1: women from the pressure to drop out of the labor 612 00:35:16,880 --> 00:35:21,000 Speaker 1: force after having children. Even highly educated women who leave 613 00:35:21,040 --> 00:35:24,880 Speaker 1: the labor force after having children struggle to eventually reintegrate 614 00:35:25,040 --> 00:35:28,000 Speaker 1: back into it. Some fear that in case of divorce 615 00:35:28,160 --> 00:35:31,880 Speaker 1: they'll be unable to stay afloat financially, in part because 616 00:35:31,920 --> 00:35:33,520 Speaker 1: of the stark gender pay gap. 617 00:35:33,680 --> 00:35:36,400 Speaker 2: So the Japanese government has followed suit with many of 618 00:35:36,440 --> 00:35:39,799 Speaker 2: the East Asian countries. Late twenty twenty three, the Prime 619 00:35:39,800 --> 00:35:43,560 Speaker 2: Minister announced and estimated twenty two billion dollars to childcare 620 00:35:43,560 --> 00:35:46,080 Speaker 2: spending in order to help the birth rate, and he 621 00:35:46,160 --> 00:35:49,279 Speaker 2: plans to increase subsidized housing for families with children and 622 00:35:49,400 --> 00:35:53,200 Speaker 2: flexible work hours. Of course, as we've seen, money may 623 00:35:53,280 --> 00:35:56,919 Speaker 2: not be the answer to all the problems. But hey, 624 00:35:57,400 --> 00:36:02,440 Speaker 2: I guess he's trying, I will say, and we're going 625 00:36:02,520 --> 00:36:04,840 Speaker 2: to talk about this in the sec better than what 626 00:36:04,880 --> 00:36:05,719 Speaker 2: the US is doing. 627 00:36:06,120 --> 00:36:07,040 Speaker 1: That's true. 628 00:36:08,000 --> 00:36:11,200 Speaker 2: And though we just used again these three countries for 629 00:36:11,719 --> 00:36:15,080 Speaker 2: the examples, the steady decline of birthrate has been seen 630 00:36:15,120 --> 00:36:18,880 Speaker 2: throughout the world. Taiwan has spent over three billion dollars 631 00:36:18,960 --> 00:36:22,320 Speaker 2: trying to encourage people to have more children, including more 632 00:36:22,520 --> 00:36:26,799 Speaker 2: parental leave and large increases in salary and in fact, 633 00:36:26,960 --> 00:36:30,200 Speaker 2: one presidential candidate offered a free bet if they have 634 00:36:30,239 --> 00:36:32,000 Speaker 2: a child. I'm not gonna lie. That could have worked 635 00:36:32,000 --> 00:36:32,480 Speaker 2: on me too. 636 00:36:32,840 --> 00:36:34,080 Speaker 1: Then you have to pay for the pet. 637 00:36:34,400 --> 00:36:36,000 Speaker 2: I know, I know, I don't know that he added 638 00:36:36,040 --> 00:36:37,880 Speaker 2: money to that, but I was like, well, that's an 639 00:36:37,920 --> 00:36:38,760 Speaker 2: interesting time. 640 00:36:38,800 --> 00:36:40,919 Speaker 1: I've got to pay for the kid in the pet. 641 00:36:43,680 --> 00:36:46,799 Speaker 1: And according to the Vox article titles, you can't even 642 00:36:46,920 --> 00:36:50,200 Speaker 1: pay people to have more kids quote. Other countries have 643 00:36:50,280 --> 00:36:53,919 Speaker 1: tried direct payments to parents. Russia began offering a one 644 00:36:53,960 --> 00:36:56,839 Speaker 1: time some of about seven thousand dollars to families with 645 00:36:56,880 --> 00:36:59,759 Speaker 1: more than two kids, while Italy and Greece have experimented 646 00:36:59,800 --> 00:37:04,440 Speaker 1: with per child baby bonuses. In twenty nineteen, Hungary introduced 647 00:37:04,440 --> 00:37:08,359 Speaker 1: a loan of about thirty thousand dollars to newlyweds if 648 00:37:08,360 --> 00:37:10,600 Speaker 1: they have three children, the loan is forgiven. 649 00:37:13,840 --> 00:37:17,680 Speaker 2: I actually saw something. I think it's Sweden. Y'all correct 650 00:37:17,680 --> 00:37:20,840 Speaker 2: me if I'm wrong that literally are trying to bring 651 00:37:20,880 --> 00:37:24,959 Speaker 2: people in with children, Oh wow, twoth and they'll they'll 652 00:37:24,960 --> 00:37:26,000 Speaker 2: give you and then you have to live there for 653 00:37:26,000 --> 00:37:28,840 Speaker 2: ten years and they'll give you money and incentives. 654 00:37:29,120 --> 00:37:30,840 Speaker 1: I had a friend that moved to Sweden. I should 655 00:37:30,840 --> 00:37:32,280 Speaker 1: to ask her, what's okay? 656 00:37:32,560 --> 00:37:35,680 Speaker 2: I think Sweden. It's one of the s European countries. 657 00:37:35,719 --> 00:37:38,760 Speaker 2: So y'all tell me Switzerland, Sweden? 658 00:37:39,239 --> 00:37:39,439 Speaker 3: Sure? 659 00:37:39,760 --> 00:37:40,280 Speaker 1: Okay? 660 00:37:41,600 --> 00:37:46,200 Speaker 2: And yes, again, declining birthrate includes the US, so we 661 00:37:46,239 --> 00:37:49,920 Speaker 2: said this earlier. The US, the birth rate of the 662 00:37:49,920 --> 00:37:53,920 Speaker 2: population is declining. Here's a quote from that same Fox article, 663 00:37:53,920 --> 00:37:57,239 Speaker 2: which is mentioned in the US, the birthrate has been 664 00:37:57,239 --> 00:38:00,680 Speaker 2: falling since the Great Recession, dropping almost twenty three percent 665 00:38:00,719 --> 00:38:04,120 Speaker 2: between twenty seven and twenty twenty two. Today, the average 666 00:38:04,120 --> 00:38:08,200 Speaker 2: American woman has about one point six children, down down 667 00:38:08,200 --> 00:38:12,000 Speaker 2: from three in nineteen fifty and significantly below the replacement 668 00:38:12,080 --> 00:38:14,759 Speaker 2: rate of two point one children needed to sustain a 669 00:38:14,800 --> 00:38:15,759 Speaker 2: stable population. 670 00:38:16,120 --> 00:38:18,600 Speaker 1: And as we mentioned previously, many people have decided to 671 00:38:18,719 --> 00:38:22,040 Speaker 1: wait to have children. And though the birth rate has 672 00:38:22,120 --> 00:38:24,719 Speaker 1: declined overall, the birth rate for people thirty five to 673 00:38:24,760 --> 00:38:28,400 Speaker 1: thirty nine has actually increased. According to Census dot Gov. 674 00:38:28,680 --> 00:38:31,320 Speaker 1: In the thirty year period, it has increased by sixty 675 00:38:31,400 --> 00:38:34,239 Speaker 1: seven percent. Here's a bit from cnn dot Com from 676 00:38:34,239 --> 00:38:37,560 Speaker 1: the article titled fertility rates dip People are having babies 677 00:38:37,640 --> 00:38:40,360 Speaker 1: later the stage of birth rates in the US. Quote. 678 00:38:40,680 --> 00:38:43,719 Speaker 1: Birth rates have declined in most states across the US 679 00:38:43,719 --> 00:38:46,040 Speaker 1: in recent years, while women are having babies at an 680 00:38:46,080 --> 00:38:49,080 Speaker 1: older age. According to new data released by the US 681 00:38:49,160 --> 00:38:53,799 Speaker 1: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and it continues, birth 682 00:38:53,840 --> 00:38:56,720 Speaker 1: rates among women in their late thirties and early forties 683 00:38:56,880 --> 00:38:59,320 Speaker 1: rose in the last decade, and the birth rate among 684 00:38:59,360 --> 00:39:02,839 Speaker 1: women over forty five also exceeded one birth per one 685 00:39:02,840 --> 00:39:07,240 Speaker 1: thousand population for the first time in more than a decade. Meanwhile, 686 00:39:07,280 --> 00:39:09,400 Speaker 1: the teen birth rate dropped to a record blow. In 687 00:39:09,440 --> 00:39:12,319 Speaker 1: twenty twenty two, there were thirteen point five burths for 688 00:39:12,440 --> 00:39:15,520 Speaker 1: every one thy teens ages fifteen to nineteen, down from 689 00:39:15,560 --> 00:39:18,759 Speaker 1: thirteen point nine in twenty twenty one. According to the 690 00:39:18,800 --> 00:39:19,880 Speaker 1: new CDC data. 691 00:39:21,280 --> 00:39:27,319 Speaker 2: Thirteen then, yeah, those numbers are so high, and I 692 00:39:27,360 --> 00:39:30,879 Speaker 2: feel like they are purposeful, especially now. And though there 693 00:39:31,040 --> 00:39:34,000 Speaker 2: was a small increase during the initial pandemic and lockdown, 694 00:39:34,440 --> 00:39:37,120 Speaker 2: nothing shows any actual signs of the race on the 695 00:39:37,719 --> 00:39:40,200 Speaker 2: on the incline. Here's a quote from the scene an article. 696 00:39:40,680 --> 00:39:44,160 Speaker 2: Despite the short term plunge and comeback during the early 697 00:39:44,239 --> 00:39:47,440 Speaker 2: years of the COVID pandemic, the race have been consistently 698 00:39:47,440 --> 00:39:50,640 Speaker 2: trending down. Nearly three point seven million babies were born 699 00:39:50,640 --> 00:39:53,440 Speaker 2: in twenty twenty two. According to the CDC analysis of 700 00:39:53,440 --> 00:39:57,160 Speaker 2: birth certificates, the overall fertility rate was fifty six point 701 00:39:57,200 --> 00:39:59,920 Speaker 2: one births per one thousand women ages fifteen to four 702 00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:03,160 Speaker 2: twenty four, holding relatively steady from the rate of fifty 703 00:40:03,160 --> 00:40:05,879 Speaker 2: six point three in twenty twenty one. After a sharp 704 00:40:05,920 --> 00:40:08,640 Speaker 2: drop in twenty twenty, birth rates rose in twenty twenty one, 705 00:40:08,880 --> 00:40:12,080 Speaker 2: the first increase since twenty fourteen, but the numbers still 706 00:40:12,120 --> 00:40:25,640 Speaker 2: reflect the declines that began before the pandemic. Okay, of course, 707 00:40:25,800 --> 00:40:30,320 Speaker 2: unlike the other countries, US hasn't been publicly talking about 708 00:40:30,320 --> 00:40:34,560 Speaker 2: the population decline or even talking about policy changes directly 709 00:40:34,600 --> 00:40:38,160 Speaker 2: related to having more children, such as giving money to 710 00:40:38,239 --> 00:40:42,560 Speaker 2: parents directly helping childcare costs, or the such. Although they 711 00:40:42,600 --> 00:40:46,960 Speaker 2: did alter some tax deductions for children, they made higher 712 00:40:46,960 --> 00:40:50,080 Speaker 2: tax deductions and gave a little more incentive, but I 713 00:40:50,239 --> 00:40:53,720 Speaker 2: definitely did not seem as it was about population control 714 00:40:53,800 --> 00:40:57,520 Speaker 2: or population increase. But much like how we mentioned, China 715 00:40:57,560 --> 00:40:59,600 Speaker 2: has been doing more restricted when it comes to abortion 716 00:40:59,680 --> 00:41:04,920 Speaker 2: access and divorce. The US has implemented the same practices, 717 00:41:05,120 --> 00:41:09,080 Speaker 2: but using alternative languages for it. So during campaign runs 718 00:41:09,080 --> 00:41:12,479 Speaker 2: for the Republican Party, a couple of significant figures may 719 00:41:12,560 --> 00:41:16,600 Speaker 2: have said the quiet part out loud. In twenty twenty three, 720 00:41:16,800 --> 00:41:20,600 Speaker 2: Nebraska Republican state senator used an old racist theory to 721 00:41:20,800 --> 00:41:24,920 Speaker 2: argue for the ban on abortion. According to New republic 722 00:41:25,000 --> 00:41:28,840 Speaker 2: dot com quote, Senator Steve Erdman decided that the best 723 00:41:28,960 --> 00:41:31,960 Speaker 2: argument in favor of the ban was quote the Great 724 00:41:32,080 --> 00:41:35,960 Speaker 2: Replacement theory, which the Southern Poverty Law Center defines as 725 00:41:36,560 --> 00:41:40,840 Speaker 2: quote racist conspiracy narrative that falsely asserts there's an active, 726 00:41:40,960 --> 00:41:45,480 Speaker 2: ongoing and covert effort to replace white populations in current 727 00:41:45,600 --> 00:41:49,600 Speaker 2: white majority countries. Our state populations have not grown except 728 00:41:49,640 --> 00:41:52,560 Speaker 2: by those foreigners who've moved here or refugees who've been 729 00:41:52,600 --> 00:41:55,919 Speaker 2: placed here, Erman told the chamber, and it continues. Erman 730 00:41:56,000 --> 00:41:59,040 Speaker 2: also says that all of the aborted fetuses could be 731 00:41:59,120 --> 00:42:01,360 Speaker 2: working and filling some of those positions that we have 732 00:42:01,440 --> 00:42:03,800 Speaker 2: vacancies in response to jobs. 733 00:42:05,239 --> 00:42:07,360 Speaker 1: Okay, yeah, yeah. 734 00:42:07,480 --> 00:42:11,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, So before we continue, so here's a look about 735 00:42:11,880 --> 00:42:14,880 Speaker 2: the Here's a quick look at the Great Replacement theory 736 00:42:15,200 --> 00:42:19,000 Speaker 2: from a PREBIS article simply put the conspiracy theory says 737 00:42:19,200 --> 00:42:21,720 Speaker 2: there's a plot to diminish the influence of white people. 738 00:42:22,120 --> 00:42:24,840 Speaker 2: Believers say this goal is being achieved both through the 739 00:42:24,840 --> 00:42:28,400 Speaker 2: immigration of non white people into societies that have largely 740 00:42:28,480 --> 00:42:32,279 Speaker 2: been dominated by white people, as well as through simple demographics, 741 00:42:32,360 --> 00:42:35,640 Speaker 2: with white people having lower birth rates than other populations. 742 00:42:36,360 --> 00:42:39,640 Speaker 1: And how does all of that equal to combating of 743 00:42:39,680 --> 00:42:43,560 Speaker 1: the declining birth rate. Here's some more from Senator Erdmann. 744 00:42:43,800 --> 00:42:46,960 Speaker 1: According to Vice dot com, our state population has not 745 00:42:47,080 --> 00:42:49,719 Speaker 1: grown except by those foreigners who have moved. Here are 746 00:42:49,760 --> 00:42:52,960 Speaker 1: refugees who have been placed here. Why is that? It's 747 00:42:53,000 --> 00:42:56,920 Speaker 1: because we've killed two hundred thousand people. These are people 748 00:42:57,040 --> 00:43:00,319 Speaker 1: we've killed. Erdmann said during debate after lamenting that if 749 00:43:00,320 --> 00:43:04,000 Speaker 1: abortion had been illegal, that would have resulted to more 750 00:43:04,000 --> 00:43:07,440 Speaker 1: people who could be working and feeling some of those 751 00:43:07,480 --> 00:43:09,000 Speaker 1: positions that we have vacancy. 752 00:43:10,880 --> 00:43:13,520 Speaker 2: And he's not the only one to say these things 753 00:43:13,520 --> 00:43:17,400 Speaker 2: out loud. Seapack Republican leader also made a point to 754 00:43:17,520 --> 00:43:20,000 Speaker 2: use the same rhetoric. He said, if you say there's 755 00:43:20,040 --> 00:43:22,760 Speaker 2: a population problem in the country, but you're killing millions 756 00:43:22,760 --> 00:43:25,200 Speaker 2: of your own people through legalize the abortion every year, 757 00:43:25,960 --> 00:43:28,440 Speaker 2: if that were to produce some of that problem is solved. 758 00:43:28,440 --> 00:43:31,400 Speaker 2: A Schlap said, you have millions of people who can 759 00:43:31,440 --> 00:43:33,840 Speaker 2: take many of these jobs. How come no one brings 760 00:43:33,880 --> 00:43:37,160 Speaker 2: that up. If you're worried about this quote unquote replacement, 761 00:43:37,320 --> 00:43:40,120 Speaker 2: why don't we start there, start with allowing our own 762 00:43:40,200 --> 00:43:43,040 Speaker 2: people to live. And again he's not the only one. 763 00:43:43,200 --> 00:43:47,640 Speaker 2: The Ohio representative says something similar as well. This narrative 764 00:43:47,680 --> 00:43:50,080 Speaker 2: has been around for a very long time. As in fact, 765 00:43:50,120 --> 00:43:54,120 Speaker 2: it's actually been around also targeting the Jewish community as well. 766 00:43:54,160 --> 00:43:57,640 Speaker 2: But this has been a constant rhetoric. And if you 767 00:43:57,680 --> 00:44:00,600 Speaker 2: want to talk about our episod so is when it 768 00:44:00,640 --> 00:44:03,719 Speaker 2: comes to tradwives, our episodes, when it comes to the 769 00:44:03,920 --> 00:44:06,280 Speaker 2: Red Pill, our episodes, when it comes to religious trauma. 770 00:44:06,520 --> 00:44:10,399 Speaker 2: They're all linked in this same conversation with this white 771 00:44:10,440 --> 00:44:15,200 Speaker 2: supremacist rhetoric that we have to bring more white people 772 00:44:15,239 --> 00:44:17,200 Speaker 2: in to bring in power, that they've lost power, so 773 00:44:17,239 --> 00:44:19,839 Speaker 2: therefore they need to have babies, and that abortion ban 774 00:44:20,120 --> 00:44:24,640 Speaker 2: is the key. Unfortunately, these tactics have worked enough to 775 00:44:24,840 --> 00:44:28,200 Speaker 2: sway what is happening within the US, but politics alone 776 00:44:28,280 --> 00:44:31,520 Speaker 2: is not what is controlling this narrative. So are the corporations. 777 00:44:31,800 --> 00:44:35,280 Speaker 2: The economic threat of a population's decline has become clear 778 00:44:35,440 --> 00:44:39,640 Speaker 2: to many experts around the world, but not all corporations 779 00:44:39,920 --> 00:44:43,279 Speaker 2: have come to this same understanding at this point. Like 780 00:44:43,320 --> 00:44:47,480 Speaker 2: we said, Trip dot Com and Japan has kind of 781 00:44:47,480 --> 00:44:49,200 Speaker 2: figured it out. They're like, Okay, we need to help 782 00:44:49,239 --> 00:44:51,879 Speaker 2: with this. There's other companies that have been adding to that. 783 00:44:52,760 --> 00:44:55,360 Speaker 2: We know some of the companies here in the US, 784 00:44:55,440 --> 00:44:57,520 Speaker 2: and usually the smaller companies that'll been like, we'll give 785 00:44:57,520 --> 00:45:01,959 Speaker 2: you a longer, maternitically better MATERI we have free childcare here. 786 00:45:02,200 --> 00:45:06,200 Speaker 2: But not everybody Amazon Prime example, could care less. 787 00:45:06,280 --> 00:45:08,319 Speaker 1: It was an accidental fun I. 788 00:45:11,280 --> 00:45:14,320 Speaker 2: Didn't even know. A lot of the corporations are seeking 789 00:45:14,360 --> 00:45:18,760 Speaker 2: to strip even more rights from their employees, many encouraging 790 00:45:18,840 --> 00:45:23,560 Speaker 2: discrimination for those who become pregnant, and in fact, recently 791 00:45:23,719 --> 00:45:28,480 Speaker 2: federal courts ruled that the Quote Pregnancy Workfairness Act was 792 00:45:28,560 --> 00:45:32,600 Speaker 2: unenforceable against the state government and it's in its agency 793 00:45:32,680 --> 00:45:37,279 Speaker 2: which This act protects accommodations for pregnant employees in the 794 00:45:37,320 --> 00:45:40,640 Speaker 2: workplace and allows workers to sue employers for failing to 795 00:45:40,680 --> 00:45:45,319 Speaker 2: do so. It prohibited employers from denying employment opportunities or 796 00:45:45,400 --> 00:45:49,160 Speaker 2: forcing pregnant workers to go on leave if alternative accommodations 797 00:45:49,239 --> 00:45:52,560 Speaker 2: were possible. And this is from the Texas Tribune dot org, 798 00:45:52,600 --> 00:45:55,960 Speaker 2: which is where all of this was coming out from. 799 00:45:56,080 --> 00:45:58,920 Speaker 2: So that is significant to know that that was on 800 00:45:58,960 --> 00:46:02,840 Speaker 2: a federal appeal. And it's very scary because not only 801 00:46:03,640 --> 00:46:06,160 Speaker 2: are we being told you have to be pregnant if 802 00:46:06,200 --> 00:46:10,520 Speaker 2: you were to conceive, if you were to get pregnant, 803 00:46:10,800 --> 00:46:13,600 Speaker 2: do you have to remain pregnant and go and give birth, 804 00:46:14,440 --> 00:46:17,160 Speaker 2: but that you have no rights and they're not going 805 00:46:17,239 --> 00:46:19,960 Speaker 2: to help you. We've talked there are several articles that 806 00:46:20,000 --> 00:46:23,640 Speaker 2: we talked about within the great Replacement theory, and these 807 00:46:24,080 --> 00:46:27,600 Speaker 2: senators who literally kept saying, oh, social Security will help, 808 00:46:28,000 --> 00:46:30,080 Speaker 2: which we know is dwind linked very quickly and it 809 00:46:30,280 --> 00:46:32,160 Speaker 2: is pretty much non existent for any of us who 810 00:46:32,200 --> 00:46:34,600 Speaker 2: want to retire at this point. I believe the boomers 811 00:46:34,600 --> 00:46:36,720 Speaker 2: are the last to be able to really get anything 812 00:46:38,160 --> 00:46:43,080 Speaker 2: from the Social Security Administration. There's so much that we 813 00:46:43,320 --> 00:46:45,239 Speaker 2: have to look at when we talk about this, because 814 00:46:45,280 --> 00:46:48,640 Speaker 2: there it goes hand in hand when we talk about 815 00:46:48,640 --> 00:46:51,399 Speaker 2: the declining of birth birth rates, and as we're again 816 00:46:51,480 --> 00:46:55,760 Speaker 2: we're looking at other countries. We're looking at European countries 817 00:46:55,760 --> 00:46:58,839 Speaker 2: who have a little better incentives and that kind of 818 00:46:59,239 --> 00:47:03,000 Speaker 2: are willing to pay a lot more and it's costly, 819 00:47:03,080 --> 00:47:07,719 Speaker 2: as men will say, to make it better. There's many 820 00:47:07,719 --> 00:47:10,040 Speaker 2: who won't do that here in the US, and in fact, 821 00:47:10,120 --> 00:47:13,200 Speaker 2: again they're doing the opposite by kind of leaning towards 822 00:47:13,320 --> 00:47:18,080 Speaker 2: China's policies, which is really funny and ironic right now 823 00:47:18,200 --> 00:47:23,160 Speaker 2: to me, with trying to force a population boom, and 824 00:47:23,200 --> 00:47:25,880 Speaker 2: it's working, and it's working, and that's what's scary. But 825 00:47:27,360 --> 00:47:30,480 Speaker 2: again this seems to be have your cake and eat 826 00:47:30,520 --> 00:47:34,160 Speaker 2: it to situation for both the politicians and corporations. And 827 00:47:34,200 --> 00:47:37,160 Speaker 2: I will say some activists in the US have talked 828 00:47:37,200 --> 00:47:39,799 Speaker 2: about similar tactics to those in other countries. I know 829 00:47:39,840 --> 00:47:43,000 Speaker 2: there's like the sex strike. During one point that was 830 00:47:43,160 --> 00:47:47,680 Speaker 2: in talks talking about not having children, talking about not 831 00:47:47,719 --> 00:47:50,600 Speaker 2: getting married, talking about remaining single, which you know, I 832 00:47:50,600 --> 00:47:54,799 Speaker 2: get it. But with what is happening, and as rights 833 00:47:54,840 --> 00:47:57,160 Speaker 2: continue to be stripped, it will be likely that the 834 00:47:57,200 --> 00:48:02,040 Speaker 2: decline will only continue because people are fed up. 835 00:48:04,400 --> 00:48:09,120 Speaker 1: Yeah. I have at least two friends who have pretty 836 00:48:09,160 --> 00:48:14,480 Speaker 1: much said the shop is closed, like they're just and 837 00:48:14,520 --> 00:48:16,560 Speaker 1: it breaks my heart because like, if you want to 838 00:48:16,600 --> 00:48:18,640 Speaker 1: have sex, if you want to have kids. It shouldn't be, 839 00:48:19,880 --> 00:48:22,279 Speaker 1: but they've been like, as long as this what is 840 00:48:22,600 --> 00:48:25,439 Speaker 1: this is the situation, I'm not gonna do it, which 841 00:48:25,520 --> 00:48:29,920 Speaker 1: feels very upset. It's very upsetting, but it also feels 842 00:48:30,000 --> 00:48:32,239 Speaker 1: kind of funny because I don't think that's what they 843 00:48:32,480 --> 00:48:36,200 Speaker 1: wanted the outcome to right of these things, but that's 844 00:48:36,280 --> 00:48:40,080 Speaker 1: what I've heard from multiple people. It's like, Okay, right, cool. 845 00:48:40,719 --> 00:48:42,520 Speaker 2: I will be interested to see what happens in the 846 00:48:42,520 --> 00:48:44,880 Speaker 2: next couple of years, because we know that practancy is 847 00:48:44,920 --> 00:48:50,160 Speaker 2: due to rape has increased, which is horrifying. But at 848 00:48:50,160 --> 00:48:52,400 Speaker 2: the same time, I don't know if it's just me, 849 00:48:52,640 --> 00:48:57,680 Speaker 2: but I have getting more and more disturbing pieces about 850 00:48:58,239 --> 00:49:02,759 Speaker 2: children's deaths, some of them like literal. I've just watched one, 851 00:49:04,000 --> 00:49:06,880 Speaker 2: I guess the crime thing where a mom was so 852 00:49:07,920 --> 00:49:11,640 Speaker 2: flustered because she could not financially provide, she did not 853 00:49:11,680 --> 00:49:17,040 Speaker 2: trust her for the children's father to take care of 854 00:49:17,080 --> 00:49:20,280 Speaker 2: them and so gave them the best day and then 855 00:49:20,400 --> 00:49:24,319 Speaker 2: unfortunately murdered them. I guess this is a side say, 856 00:49:24,400 --> 00:49:26,520 Speaker 2: and that's not the only case I've seen. As of recently, 857 00:49:27,080 --> 00:49:29,479 Speaker 2: I've seen more and more. I feel like this may 858 00:49:30,400 --> 00:49:35,239 Speaker 2: honestly be a thing that we see because women are 859 00:49:35,280 --> 00:49:37,520 Speaker 2: not seen. Again, we've talked about the fact that the 860 00:49:37,560 --> 00:49:40,000 Speaker 2: abortion band is only going to kill women, but I 861 00:49:40,040 --> 00:49:45,799 Speaker 2: don't think people can estimate the route of desperation that 862 00:49:45,920 --> 00:49:50,480 Speaker 2: many people will have from these situations. Again, same thing 863 00:49:50,600 --> 00:49:56,799 Speaker 2: with forced labor, force birth for those who have been 864 00:49:57,200 --> 00:50:01,000 Speaker 2: molested and raped. Similar similar to that conversation of the 865 00:50:01,000 --> 00:50:04,080 Speaker 2: desperation that you're not going to understand. I'm horrified, aby 866 00:50:04,120 --> 00:50:07,120 Speaker 2: what's happening. But I don't think any of these tactics 867 00:50:07,120 --> 00:50:11,120 Speaker 2: are going to push to an increase in birth the 868 00:50:11,160 --> 00:50:13,080 Speaker 2: way they think it will now. 869 00:50:13,800 --> 00:50:17,760 Speaker 1: I don't think so either. There's so much, like really 870 00:50:17,880 --> 00:50:22,000 Speaker 1: fundamental systemic things that have to change. I believe for 871 00:50:22,160 --> 00:50:23,600 Speaker 1: people to write. 872 00:50:23,440 --> 00:50:29,080 Speaker 2: Again, hello, having childcare, having money to feed yourself, having 873 00:50:29,120 --> 00:50:33,200 Speaker 2: money to have a bedroom for your child, those are 874 00:50:33,239 --> 00:50:36,080 Speaker 2: all things that are dictating whether or not we want 875 00:50:36,080 --> 00:50:36,720 Speaker 2: to have children. 876 00:50:37,480 --> 00:50:43,719 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, seems pretty obvious, you would. 877 00:50:43,520 --> 00:50:47,120 Speaker 2: Think, But I feel like twenty twenty three South Korea 878 00:50:47,640 --> 00:50:50,000 Speaker 2: really like, oh, I guess we should talk to those 879 00:50:50,040 --> 00:50:51,320 Speaker 2: who can give birth what. 880 00:50:52,080 --> 00:50:54,120 Speaker 1: Maybe we should ask them? 881 00:50:54,160 --> 00:50:56,480 Speaker 2: Maybe we should maybe we should ask them? And then 882 00:50:56,520 --> 00:51:00,480 Speaker 2: we have literally gone backwards in the US on how 883 00:51:00,480 --> 00:51:04,720 Speaker 2: to handle it again again, the pretenses we're saving lives. 884 00:51:04,960 --> 00:51:07,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, yep. 885 00:51:08,960 --> 00:51:11,359 Speaker 3: Well, well we have a lot of episodes about this. 886 00:51:11,760 --> 00:51:15,040 Speaker 3: As you said, Samantha, it is related to a lot 887 00:51:15,120 --> 00:51:19,000 Speaker 3: of other issues. This is another very intersectional thing. 888 00:51:19,080 --> 00:51:24,319 Speaker 2: But yeah, Happy International Women's Day. 889 00:51:24,400 --> 00:51:27,200 Speaker 1: Happy International Women's Day, Samantha. 890 00:51:27,320 --> 00:51:29,239 Speaker 2: Good luck everybody of Gosh. 891 00:51:29,360 --> 00:51:30,879 Speaker 1: I'm glad to spend it with you. 892 00:51:31,480 --> 00:51:34,760 Speaker 2: I'm glad to be with you too, and I'm glad. 893 00:51:34,680 --> 00:51:37,319 Speaker 1: For anyone who joined us on this day or any 894 00:51:37,360 --> 00:51:39,960 Speaker 1: other day. If you have any thoughts about this, please 895 00:51:40,040 --> 00:51:42,359 Speaker 1: let us know. You can email us at Stuffania mom 896 00:51:42,440 --> 00:51:44,880 Speaker 1: Stuff at iHeartMedia dot com. You can find us on 897 00:51:44,920 --> 00:51:48,080 Speaker 1: Twitter at mom Stuff podcast or on TikTok and Instagram 898 00:51:48,080 --> 00:51:49,919 Speaker 1: at stuff I Never Told You. We have a tea 899 00:51:49,920 --> 00:51:52,480 Speaker 1: public store, and we have a book you can get 900 00:51:52,520 --> 00:51:54,719 Speaker 1: wherever you get your books things. As always to our 901 00:51:54,760 --> 00:51:56,960 Speaker 1: super producer Christina, are executive Bruce and Maya, and our 902 00:51:56,960 --> 00:51:59,840 Speaker 1: contributor Joey, thank you and thanks to you for listening. 903 00:52:00,080 --> 00:52:01,960 Speaker 1: Steffan Never Told You his production by iHeart Radio. For 904 00:52:02,000 --> 00:52:03,719 Speaker 1: more podcasts from iHeart Radio, you can check out the 905 00:52:03,800 --> 00:52:05,839 Speaker 1: heart Radio app Apple Podcasts wherever you listen to your 906 00:52:05,840 --> 00:52:06,560 Speaker 1: favorite shows,