2023-12-01

Stephen Shaw

He can't be with us today. He's filming in Japan a documentary called "Birthgap" at birthgap.org, and he has some remarks for us.

Good evening from Tokyo where today I will be recording the voiceover for the last part of Birthgap docoumentary: Broken World. This past year has been remarkable. The subject of fallen birth rates and unplanned childlessness has touched a lot of people.

I come from a world of data. In the 1970s, trends for delayed parenthood in Japan and other countries where people found that they couldn't have the children they wanted. We don't need to do much in terms of policies to create more fertility. The younger people who want to prioritize a family should be able to have the children they want to have. Today, most people are unaware of the fertility window nad the importance of having a family younger if you want a larger family.

I have been talking with young people in Japan about their dreams for having families. This will be aired nationally. I've been talking with policymakers about how to educate people about the reality of the fertility window. ... a Cambridge student telling me she was haunted by a future she might not have ... at least these people will consider having a child at a younger age.

I have one strong passion I want to share here today. My strong belief is that we should never coerce people who don't want children, into having children. It's a small minority, less than 10%, probably as low as 5-6%. The way to bring society together is a combination of mutual understanding between those who do want children and those who don't and educate younger people about when might be a good time to make that choice. Don't hesitate to reach out to me.