Are We Witnessing a Birth Strike? with Jenny Brown
Explicit content warning
01/29/23 • 66 min
It is time to revalue the unpaid labor of childrearing, says Jenny Brown—feminist organizer and author of Birth Strike: The Hidden Fight Over Women's Work. In the episode we discuss:
-Jenny’s background campaigning for birth control access led to her deciding to write her book, Birth Strike.
-Ominous insights into the forces that led to the overturning of Roe v. Wade roughly a year after we recorded this interview.
-Abortion being legalized during the post-war “baby boom” of 1955-1975—a time when politicians were concerned about overpopulation.
-Why the founder of the official “Birth Strike movement” changed their message in 2020 to better reflect their environmental stance (not having kids in protest to conditions NOT as a comment on overpopulation).
-The systemic issues behind the current spontaneous “birth strike” being staged by women without kids globally.
-The impact of witnessing our mothers’ struggle on the procreative outcomes of modern women without kids.
-The roots of the Covid childcare crisis, and why this had been a long time coming.
-The policy change and ideological shifts that would enable more people to confidently embark on the path of parenthood.
-Why higher wages across the caregiving spectrum, and higher status being given to these jobs, are essential for the thriving of future generations.
-Jenny’s obvious, clear-cut solutions to the issue of the aging population!
You can learn more about Jenny Brown and her work and order your copy of Birth Strike HERE and follow her on Twitter HERE.
You can pre-order your copy of Women Without Kids: The Revolutionary Rise of an Unsung Sisterhood HERE—and enter your order number to receive a free book club guide and be entered into a prize draw to win a limited edition tote.
It is time to revalue the unpaid labor of childrearing, says Jenny Brown—feminist organizer and author of Birth Strike: The Hidden Fight Over Women's Work. In the episode we discuss:
-Jenny’s background campaigning for birth control access led to her deciding to write her book, Birth Strike.
-Ominous insights into the forces that led to the overturning of Roe v. Wade roughly a year after we recorded this interview.
-Abortion being legalized during the post-war “baby boom” of 1955-1975—a time when politicians were concerned about overpopulation.
-Why the founder of the official “Birth Strike movement” changed their message in 2020 to better reflect their environmental stance (not having kids in protest to conditions NOT as a comment on overpopulation).
-The systemic issues behind the current spontaneous “birth strike” being staged by women without kids globally.
-The impact of witnessing our mothers’ struggle on the procreative outcomes of modern women without kids.
-The roots of the Covid childcare crisis, and why this had been a long time coming.
-The policy change and ideological shifts that would enable more people to confidently embark on the path of parenthood.
-Why higher wages across the caregiving spectrum, and higher status being given to these jobs, are essential for the thriving of future generations.
-Jenny’s obvious, clear-cut solutions to the issue of the aging population!
You can learn more about Jenny Brown and her work and order your copy of Birth Strike HERE and follow her on Twitter HERE.
You can pre-order your copy of Women Without Kids: The Revolutionary Rise of an Unsung Sisterhood HERE—and enter your order number to receive a free book club guide and be entered into a prize draw to win a limited edition tote.
Previous Episode
Evolutions in Sex Ed. with Justine Ang Fonte
It's time to teach kids about human sexuality beyond the procreative act, says sexuality educator, Justine Ang Fonte. In the episode we discuss:
-Why sexuality education tends to reduce our bodies to their reproductive function - and what is problematic about this
-Why human sexuality is equally about pleasure, intimacy, agency, and personal power, and how to talk to kids about these things
-Justine’s introduction to teaching sex ed and why she’s so passionate about enacting reform in this area
-Why all non-procreative sex - including queer sex, masturbation, and sex work - is still so stigmatized
-Why we can’t have a real conversation about consent without centering pleasure - since consent begins with asking, “does this feel good?”
-Why male sexual entitlement stems from the notion that women’s bodies belong first and foremost to society as the means of reproduction
-Why talking about a “gender-full” world is part of dismantling reductive gender roles in the realm of human sexuality
-The role of intimacy education and teaching about healthy relationships in the context of sex ed.
-Why Justine does not expect to see a truly sexually liberated society in her lifetime - and why this won’t stop her continuing to work towards this
You can learn more about Justine and her work HERE and follow her on Instagram @imjustineaf
You can also pre-order your copy of Women Without Kids: The Revolutionary Rise of an Unsung Sisterhood HERE—and enter your order details to receive a free reading group guide for the book
Next Episode
Opting For Irreversible Sterilization with Rachel Diamond
Childfree advocate Rachel Diamond on the complex reasons more women are opting for irreversible sterilization procedures. In the episode we discuss:
-What a “bilateral salpingectomy” involves - and why Rachel decided to go this route versus other sterilization procedures.
-Why her requests for sterilization were initially turned down, and all the reasons she she was given for this.
-Her experiences with other forms of long-term birth control and experiencing an ectopic pregnancy while fitted with a copper IUD.
-All the different factors that led to Rachel’s realization that she never wanted to have children of her own.
-Why her traditional “white-picket-fence” upbringing meant she never questioned whether she would become a mom - and the relief of realizing that not having children was an option for her.
-How watching her friends struggle with pregnancy and postpartum depression solidified her feelings on the subject.
-Women having the ability to assess their parental readiness - and plan accordingly - being a marker of human progress.
-The uptick in requests for sterilization procedures following the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
-The impact of more people pursuing more creative and meaningful - but less stable - career paths on our reproductive choices.
-Entering the dating pool sterilized - and being clear upfront with a potential life partner about your feelings on having kids.
You can follow Rachel on TikTok and Instagram for more on her childfree journey.
You can also pre-order your copy of Women Without Kids and enter your order details HERE to receive your free book club guide to accompany the book.
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