news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4115829.stm
Printable version Letter: Australia's baby bust Sarah MacDonald By Sarah MacDonald Journalist and broadcaster Local journalist Sarah MacDonald says her country's reputation as a natio n of sun-kissed, healthy youngsters is out-of-date as recent surveys sug gest the population is ageing rapidly. The government has responded by trying to encourage Australians to breed, but the policy is not proving entirely popular. Elderly people A declining birth rate is leading to an ageing population As I hung the tinsel on my tree and fireplace this week, I couldn't help reminiscing about the Christmas days of my childhood. Not just my favourite presents and the rituals of a hot traditional meal on a sticky humid summer's day but also the disappointments. My father was an obstetrician and he never ever managed to stay home an e ntire Christmas day. Every year, usually just as he was about to carve t he turkey, the phone would ring and we would all groan. He would return from answering it to say: "Sorry, kids - gotta go and help a baby Jesus be born." But if he was still working, it's possible he would have got to enjoy the entire Christmas experienc e anyway. That's because fewer children are being born now than when he practised. Australia is experiencing a baby shortage that is being called a baby bu st by some and a "fertility crisis" by others. Replacement The Australian population recently passed the 20 million mark. We're only producing 17 and that is predicted to be less t han 16 by 2010. Our population is currently rising thanks to immigration and the fact tha t we are living longer, but we have problems ahead. Surfer Not all Australians are young, vibrant and sun-kissed surfers Australia likes to see itself as a young vibrant nation, but the truth is - because of the decline in birth rate and an increase in life expectan cy - our population is noticeably ageing. I just had a summer holiday near a popular beach town and was amazed at t he way the area was changing. Aqua-aerobics for the elderly, bingo night s, card clubs and ballroom dancing dominated the town's activities. An ageing population is an issue not unique to Australia. But perhaps our discussion about it has a uniquely antipodean flavour. For the last year or so many of our leaders have been urging us to breed in most unsubtle ways. Prime Minster John Howard uses phrases such as "Come on, come on, your na tion needs you" and his treasurer is even bossier. Annoyance While I do worry that my generation will soon be trying to support the re tired baby boomers and that my child's generation will struggle to suppo rt me when I get old, I don't take such comments by our male leaders in a sporting spirit. And I'm not the only one: at workplaces, playgroups and parties I've hear d many women show their distinct lack of enthusiasm for the suggested br eeding programme. Australian Prime Minister John Howard Many object to politicians meddling in their sex lives Let's face it, no-one likes a politician messing around in their sex life . But what's making women crankier than that is the debate that has subs equently arisen about the role of women, the way we work, the nature of our society, relationships, science and even feminism. The reasons Australian women are having fewer babies are many, varied and complex. There's a global trend that illustrates the more educated women are, the higher the income they earn and the fewer children they have. In Austral ia many women are waiting to have kids until they feel established in th eir careers. Combine this with the social trend that extends our adolescence and state s that 30 is the new 20 and 40 the new 30 and you can see why the averag e age of marriage has risen to 27. The fact is Australian women are having babies and they want to, but they 're doing it now in their 30s instead of their 20s. Hedonistic days Aussies now believe the 20s are for studying, establishing a career, earn ing money and then blowing it all on international travel or socialising . It's a time for hedonism and a lack of responsibility and the perfect tim e to leave the country and thoughts of present and future family far beh ind. The 30s are for settling down, buying a house, renovating it (the great A ustralian obsession) and then popping out a kid or two. Obviously, settling down later means having fewer children - because ther e's less time to breed and because starting later is risky. Many Austral ian women are finding they have left it too late to conceive at all. Australian joke In vitro fertilisation is increasingly common but it's expensive and pain ful and still has high failure rates. There are extremely few Aussie babies to adopt and international adoption costs tens of thousands of dollars and takes more than four years to or ganise. And then there's the issue of finding a good bloke to have kids with. after San Francisco it's considered the homosexual capita l of the world. This is great if you like great cafes, nightclubs and fabulous parties bu t I hear at least one woman a week bemoan "all the good guys are married or gay". And as for those Aussie boys that are straight and single, well, many Aus tralian women are actually questioning whether they are commitment-phobi c There's a popular joke told around this time of year that asks: Why wasn' t Jesus born in Australia? The answer is: Because God couldn't find three wise men and a virgin. Women and men Social researchers are now seriously asking whether men have wised up to the fact that Australian women will give them the sex without the commit ment. They suggest the increased trend to living together is ruining wom en's chances to have kids. Offended men have struck back arguing that women are too fussy and too de manding, some openly suggesting women are selfishly waiting for Mr Perfe ct when they should be settling for a Mr Good Enough who is keen on kids . A pregnant woman Some are taking feminists to task for stigmatising motherhood Some prominent Australians - including women - are blaming feminism for o ur fertility problems. Last year broadcaster Virginia Haussegger wrote a n article in the Melbourne Age newspaper about what she called her "sad, barren state". She said motherhood was presented to her generation as a handicap and a h indrance. She was angry that she took the word of feminist mothers who she says tol d her she could have it all when they should have been warning her about the biological clock. She was called "petulant, a brat, and shameful", but she also got appreci ative letters from women who felt as angry as she did. This debate has got so side-tracked into vitriolic fights about feminism and female fussiness that the real issues are getting lost along the way . The fact is that for those Australian women who have got a bloke and who do want children there are some issues that limit how many they are will ing to have for themselves or for the country. One is the fact that Australia - apart from the United States - is the on ly developed country in the world not to have a mandatory minimum paid m aternity leave. Newborn baby Australia does less to help parents than most developed countries While government employees receive up to 12 weeks' paid leave, those in t he private sector are usually expected to give up a job and earnings and to lose out on the career trajectory if they want to spend any time at all with their new-born children. I agree, but then there's the issue of going back to a new job if you can get it. My child just turned two and I have had her name on more than five childcare centre waiting lists since I was eight week s pregnant. I lived in India for many y ears and I was endlessly delighted by the way that kids were worshipped as mini-gods in the country. At restaurants a waiter would often be assigned to play with the little o nes, and kids were also welcome at weddings, parties, funerals and funct ions. There are now new housing developments that ban chil dren, many restaurants and cafes cringe when a child approaches, two loc al parks in my area have removed their play equipment and there's a grow ing voice amongst the childless-by-choice movement to cam...
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