How can we overcome the low birth rate? - Lizzy

South Korea has the lowest birthrate in the world. In Korea, one woman in the 1950s gave birth to six babies and one died. So the population grew tremendously and Korea achieved rapid growth as they entered the labor market. Now a woman has only one child and there are two people on world average. Such a sudden change in birthrate as Korea was not in the history of humanity. According to statics, Korea's birthrate that is the number of children born to a woman is 1.2 which is lower than Sweden (1.9), France (2.0) and Japan (1.4). If this situation is continued, Korea will disappear. But the Korean Government has been trying to practice some policies to encourage childbirth but there is not such a big effect. Where can we get the answer about low birthrate? According to Professor Hans Roosling Karolinska, a world-renowned statistical scholar, Feminism will help solve the country's low birthrate, poverty, and socio-economic problems. From now, I’m going to explain how Feminism encourage childbirth.

Simply a population policy is ineffectual but Feminism will bring change. Low fertility causes other problems, but it is also a result of other problems. Unlike women in the past, women nowadays have to work well and do well at home. This burden can’t increase fertility rate. For example, Fertility rate in Sweden was reversed from the changes related to gender equality. Gender equality means more than the level where husbands share work with their wives. It means destruction of traditional roles. The more flexible the roles of men and women, the greater the efficiency of society as a whole.

Feminism is not only for women and it doesn’t deprive of the right of men. When the rights of women improve, men also live better. If men put down some of the baggage on the shoulder, the men become comfortable. We can know by paying attention to the fact that the difference in life expectancy between men and women decreases as feminism develops. The ultimate goal of feminism is not to raise fertility but to improve the quality of life and live together in a better society.

To sum up, we can get over the lowest birthrate in the world through Feminism that support the gender equality and a better society. But gender equality means more flexible the role of gender and demotion of the idea that has existed from all time. From today, let’s practice the Feminism.