Explaining This Moment of Pronatalism
Pronatalism is an ideology, cultural orientation, and emerging policy framework promoting higher birthrates by framing reproduction as a social duty or moral good. Oftentimes, pronatalism can emphasize certain gender roles and can be rooted in extreme nationalism and patriarchal ideals. Varina Winder, the former Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor in the Secretary's Office of Global Women's Issues at the U.S. Department of State and co-founder of the ARCH Collaborative, sits down to talk with us about the ways in which pronatalist ideology is present in the U.S. and what a true pro-family vision should look like.
Increasingly, pronatalism is being driven by governments. The Trump administration, for example, have been manipulating language to advance pronatalist ideology, including describing American women as “under babied” and referring to the expansion of the Global Gag Rule as the “Promoting Human Flourishing in Foreign Assistance” Act. Government restrictions and cultural interventions are the tools used for pronatalism, and the language (often rooted in a low-fertility and birthrate “crisis”) global administrations use support these tools.
LINKS FROM THIS EPISODE
More information on Varina Winder
Baby Bonuses and Motherhood Medals: Why We Shouldn’t Trust the Pronatalist Movement
The Global Gag Rule is Once Again Expanded, Maximizing Harm
Books by Devin Em
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Transcript
Jennie: Welcome to rePROs Fight Back, a podcast on all things related to sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice. [music intro]
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Be aware of the way pronatalism creeps into every space, including climate change, housing, and more.
Play defense. Call your local house reps and senators to take action against any pronatalist bills making their way through state legislatures. Advocate for actual pro-family values in policy, including paid leave, contraception access, housing, and universal pre-k.