Men must play role in efforts to address declining birth rate - Carpenter

 

Gender psychology expert Professor Karen Carpenter says focusing solely on women to address the declining birth rate is ineffective.

 

In a Gleaner report published Thursday, Victoria Jubilee Hospital's ward manager of labour and delivery, Sister Dawn Williams Gordon, said deliveries at the country's largest maternity facility have tumbled from more than 500 last year to just over 300 for the comparable period this year.

 

Responding to the report, Professor Carpenter said reproductive decisions are influenced by a range of social, economic and cultural factors. She said placing the burden on women ignores the role of men.

 

"We keep focusing on women as if women are the issue. Women certainly are the means for having other children. But if we're not having the support - when you look at single female headed households, I don't think that most of those women are choosing to be single female headed households. I think these are circumstances, yes, because of social factors. What are our men doing to carry their part of the child rearing and childbearing process? I do know some stellar men who stay home and take care of their baby when mother is sick after pregnancy. Those are far and few between." 

 

She urged men to "step up", reiterating that "we need to stop speaking about fertility and reproduction as if it's women alone".

 

Professor Carpenter was speaking on the Morning Agenda on Power 106FM.