Smaller Families, Better Lives

I have limited myself to two children. Part of me wanted more but I feel that with two I can give each of them the care, attention and love that they need, whilst giving me a chance to take pleasure in them as individuals rather than one of a crowd.

Thanks to the ease of Birth Control in the UK, any woman who wants to can control her fertility. That has been a huge boost for our sex in the last 50 years plus.

We all know that in other countries, Birth Control is not so readily available. In such countries, a woman's lot is often very hard, with a continuous struggle to bring up large numbers of children, often without much money or support from a partner.

There are, however, some shining examples of countries that have solved their Birth Control issues, improving the life experiences of both women and their children.

A case in point is Bangladesh. Here, only a few decades ago, the average number of children in a family was over 7.

Today, thanks to improvements in education and Birth Control, the average woman has only 2.2 children, just above the population replacement level of 2.1.

How are children benefiting? Well, apart from enjoying more personalised attention from their parents, girls are now slightly outnumbering boys in secondary schools. Considering the relative poverty of the country, not to mention some significant cultural and religious issues, this represents a phenomenal success story. The Government and people of Bangladesh can be proud of what they have achieved together.

Let's hope more countries can follow in the footsteps of Bangladesh.

Wednesday, 14th August 2013

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