Volume 24 - Article 9 | Pages 217-224

Should governments in Europe be more aggressive in pushing for gender equality to raise fertility? The second "YES"


Date received:
Date published:	02 Feb 2011
Word count:	1468
Keywords:	desired fertility, division of household work, dual-earner family, fertility, gender equality, gender roles, parental leave, second births
DOI:	10.4054/DemRes.2011.24.9
Additional files:	Videos
Weblink:	All publications in this Special Collection "Rostock Debate on Demographic Change" can be found at http://www.demographic-research.org/special/9/

Abstract

This paper is based on my contribution to a debate, organized by MPIDR, on the question displayed in the title above. I was asked to present arguments for the "yes"-response (together with Laurent Toulemon, and arguing against the "no"-side represented by Gerda Neyer and Dimiter Philipov). As pointed out in the paper, the most important theoretical reasoning relevant for this question is the gender equity theory. A number of studies provide sound empirical support to it, as discussed in the paper in details, and thereby also a rationale for a positive impact of increased gender equality on fertility. As the dual-earner family is here to stay, and given the well-known negative consequences of long-term very low fertility for a society, pushing for gender equality seems to be a reasonable strategy to be considered aiming for sustainable societal development.