Governmental influence on childbearing: What’s really at stake?

Population Council

A thought-provoking discussion on pronatalist policies and their implications for the lives of women and girls.

One Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza

This page is for in-person registration. To participate remotely, please go to the Zoom registration page: <a href="https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_20abg8SBROWBMs_sw0cVmw" title="https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_20abg8SBROWBMs_sw0cVmw" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_20abg8SBROWBMs_sw0cVmw</a> On the sidelines of CSW 69, the Population Council invites you to a thought-provoking discussion on pronatalist policies and their implications for the lives of women and girls.A growing number of countries seek to increase childbearing to achieve economic and cultural objectives. Speakers will explore social, health, economic, and legal impacts of these policies in diverse settings including in China, across North America, and in Indigenous communities. Speakers and Commentators (see full bios below)Dr Rana Hajjeh, President of the Population Council will provide introductory remarks and perspective on the Council's work on this issue.Ms. Yiping Cai, PhD candidate at University of California Irvine, and member of the DAWN Executive Committee will speak on the transition of China’s population policy and how its challenges offer an opportunity to reconfigure social policies centered on justice and equality.Dr Joan Kaufman, Senior Director for Academic Programs for the Schwarzman Scholars Program and Lecturer on Global Health at Harvard Medical School, will amplify observations with reference to China.Ms. Judith Bruce, Senior Advisor, Population Council (Moderator)Professor Shelley Clark, James McGill Professor of Sociology at McGill University, will highlight the impact of pronatalist policies for urban and rural women in the United States, drawing on her own research.Dr Kelly Hallman, Founder and Executive Director of the Indigenous Justice Circle, and an enrolled member of the Cherokee nation, will center her remarks on implications of both antinatalist and pronatalist policies for Indigenous girls and women.Dr Vladimira Kantorova, Chief of the Fertility and Population Ageing Section of the Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations whose research has focused on fertility, reproductive health and family dynamics will address the demographic foundations—especially in Europe—and the effectiveness (and fairness) of population policies. The program will run for 90 minutes, followed by 30 minutes to network. Refreshments and snacks will be provided. In-depth BiosDR RANA HAJJEH is President of the Population Council, a global research organization focused on finding innovative solutions to critical health and development issues that impact populations in resource limited settings. Hajjeh has more than 30 years of experience in global health research, programs, policy, and management. She has held leadership positions at the World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Born in Lebanon, Hajjeh holds a Medical Doctor degree from the American University of Beirut (AUB) and is trained in internal medicine, infectious diseases, and epidemiology. She has published over 200 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters, and is a visiting professor at Emory University, Johns Hopkins University, and AUB.MS. YIPING CAI is a PhD Candidate at University of California Irvine, and member of DAWN Executive Committee who has written extensively on gender and women’s rights issues in China, including China's demographic policies.DR JOAN KAUFMAN has worked on reproductive health and rights in China since 1980, including for UNFPA and the Ford Foundation. She is currently the Senior Director for Academic Programs for the Schwarzman Scholars Program and Lecturer on Global Health at Harvard Medical School.MS. JUDITH BRUCE is a Senior Advisor at the Population Council. She was part of the Quality Project—a cross-national team that was convened by Chinese colleagues to end the one child policy and has written extensively on quality of care, child marriage, and the excluded—but vital—rising generation of adolescent girls.PROFESSOR SHELLEY CLARK is the James McGill Professor of Sociology at McGill University. Prof. Clark is a demographer whose research focuses on gender, health, family dynamics, and life course transitions. After receiving her PhD from Princeton University, Dr. Clark served as program associate at the Population Council and as an Assistant Professor of Public Policy at the University of Chicago. After joining the Department of Sociology at McGill, she became the founding Director of the <a href="https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mcgill.ca%2Fpopcentre%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cshutchinson%40popcouncil.org%7C12e97778974341e1dbbc08dd50398758%7Cda295b63c8454fa2990b1ab42d54f2ca%7C1%7C0%7C638754930226610085%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=yy0K1x6VRBi4TdKjBnnIyot8aqEETtCsrdS9OJpNjb8%3D&amp;reserved=0" title="https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mcgill.ca%2Fpopcentre%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cshutchinson%40popcouncil.org%7C12e97778974341e1dbbc08dd50398758%7Cda295b63c8454fa2990b1ab42d54f2ca%7C1%7C0%7C638754930226610085%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=yy0K1x6VRBi4TdKjBnnIyot8aqEETtCsrdS9OJpNjb8%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Centre on Population Dynamics</a>. Much of her research over the past two decades has focused on the health and wellbeing of single mothers, adolescent girls, and children in sub-Saharan Africa. Recently she has embarked on a new research agenda to assess rural and urban inequalities in North America.Her comments will address the question “What’s so pernicious about pronatalism?” with a particular focus on the implications for <a href="https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonpost.com%2Fopinions%2F2025%2F02%2F12%2Frural-women-marriage-kids-trump-transportation%2F%3Fpwapi_token%3DeyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJyZWFzb24iOiJnaWZ0IiwibmJmIjoxNzM5MzM2NDAwLCJpc3MiOiJzdWJzY3JpcHRpb25zIiwiZXhwIjoxNzQwNzE4Nzk5LCJpYXQiOjE3MzkzMzY0MDAsImp0aSI6IjU3M2U1M2MxLTVmYzQtNGQyZi04YTlkLWVhNzRmNTFjOTRlMSIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS9vcGluaW9ucy8yMDI1LzAyLzEyL3J1cmFsLXdvbWVuLW1hcnJpYWdlLWtpZHMtdHJ1bXAtdHJhbnNwb3J0YXRpb24vIn0.6nUe7FLcTcJ-xwPVJcqhdNbsWrjybxpbiieBHVJh7PU&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cshutchinson%40popcouncil.org%7C12e97778974341e1dbbc08dd50398758%7Cda295b63c8454fa2990b1ab42d54f2ca%7C1%7C0%7C638754930226629573%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=RAkAI7BabGgNBZbLRENJNIEPSsMAtcAi6pI5J7YrnV0%3D&amp;reserved=0" title="https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonpost.com%2Fopinions%2F2025%2F02%2F12%2Frural-women-marriage-kids-trump-transportation%2F%3Fpwapi_token%3DeyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJyZWFzb24iOiJnaWZ0IiwibmJmIjoxNzM5MzM2NDAwLCJpc3MiOiJzdWJzY3JpcHRpb25zIiwiZXhwIjoxNzQwNzE4Nzk5LCJpYXQiOjE3MzkzMzY0MDAsImp0aSI6IjU3M2U1M2MxLTVmYzQtNGQyZi04YTlkLWVhNzRmNTFjOTRlMSIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS9vcGluaW9ucy8yMDI1LzAyLzEyL3J1cmFsLXdvbWVuLW1hcnJpYWdlLWtpZHMtdHJ1bXAtdHJhbnNwb3J0YXRpb24vIn0.6nUe7FLcTcJ-xwPVJcqhdNbsWrjybxpbiieBHVJh7PU&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cshutchinson%40popcouncil.org%7C12e97778974341e1dbbc08dd50398758%7Cda295b63c8454fa2990b1ab42d54f2ca%7C1%7C0%7C638754930226629573%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=RAkAI7BabGgNBZbLRENJNIEPSsMAtcAi6pI5J7YrnV0%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">rural-urban women and families in the U.S</a>.DR KELLY HALLMAN is an enrolled tribal citizen of the Cherokee Nation is Founder and Executive Director of the <a href="https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.indigenousjc.org%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cshutchinson%40popcouncil.org%7C3133e5fa6b6342c850aa08dd4c5bd3b4%7Cda295b63c8454fa2990b1ab42d54f2ca%7C1%7C0%7C638750680521343451%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=FpgBEof38YwNvGgMQdh%2FYvsMXdjD4PSA7%2FF2WczCmMo%3D&amp;reserved=0" title="https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.indigenousjc.org%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cshutchinson%40popcouncil.org%7C3133e5fa6b6342c850aa08dd4c5bd3b4%7Cda295b63c8454fa2990b1ab42d54f2ca%7C1%7C0%7C638750680521343451%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=FpgBEof38YwNvGgMQdh%2FYvsMXdjD4PSA7%2FF2WczCmMo%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Indigenous Justice Circle</a>. She received her PhD in Economics from Michigan State University and worked at the International Food Policy Research Institute and the Population Council. She has written and lectured extensively on intrahousehold power and financial disparities, resource distribution and sexual violence. She designed and evaluated programs to improve health, safety and livelihood outcomes for excluded young populations in the US, Africa and Central America, including in high HIV settings.She will center her remarks on Implications of both antinatalist and pronatalist policies for Indigenous girls and women with <a href="https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fonline.pubhtml5.com%2Fqzsc%2Fgrvh%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cshutchinson%40popcouncil.org%7C3133e5fa6b6342c850aa08dd4c5bd3b4%7Cda295b63c8454fa2990b1ab42d54f2ca%7C1%7C0%7C638750680521366980%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=O6956unLORHWFVqRCh%2BGijo%2F5DdA68CevRKfKLNSHs4%3D&amp;reserved=0" title="https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fonline.pubhtml5.com%2Fqzsc%2Fgrvh%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cshutchinson%40popcouncil.org%7C3133e5fa6b6342c850aa08dd4c5bd3b4%7Cda295b63c8454fa2990b1ab42d54f2ca%7C1%7C0%7C638750680521366980%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=O6956unLORHWFVqRCh%2BGijo%2F5DdA68CevRKfKLNSHs4%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">respect to their human rights</a>, <a href="https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.populationinstitute.org%2Fresource%2Frevitalizing-population-and-development-in-the-21st-century%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cshutchinson%40popcouncil.org%7C3133e5fa6b6342c850aa08dd4c5bd3b4%7Cda295b63c8454fa2990b1ab42d54f2ca%7C1%7C0%7C638750680521381115%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=ZWonCQcPbJ9rV8%2FMBF5NrjQtO9wZu1%2FKHQ48aC5hA9o%3D&amp;reserved=0" title="https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.populationinstitute.org%2Fresource%2Frevitalizing-population-and-development-in-the-21st-century%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cshutchinson%40popcouncil.org%7C3133e5fa6b6342c850aa08dd4c5bd3b4%7Cda295b63c8454fa2990b1ab42d54f2ca%7C1%7C0%7C638750680521381115%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=ZWonCQcPbJ9rV8%2FMBF5NrjQtO9wZu1%2FKHQ48aC5hA9o%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">access to services and health technologies</a>, as well as their <a href="https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aeaweb.org%2Fasset-server%2Ffiles%2F21964.pdf&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cshutchinson%40popcouncil.org%7C3133e5fa6b6342c850aa08dd4c5bd3b4%7Cda295b63c8454fa2990b1ab42d54f2ca%7C1%7C0%7C638750680521394738%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=6y422J7Y7VY6%2FXqRBhJjTHwyT2bqioMf1sdzqRQ4Qes%3D&amp;reserved=0" title="https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.aeaweb.org%2Fasset-server%2Ffiles%2F21964.pdf&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cshutchinson%40popcouncil.org%7C3133e5fa6b6342c850aa08dd4c5bd3b4%7Cda295b63c8454fa2990b1ab42d54f2ca%7C1%7C0%7C638750680521394738%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=6y422J7Y7VY6%2FXqRBhJjTHwyT2bqioMf1sdzqRQ4Qes%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">care and financial contributions across the life cycle</a>.DR VLADIMIRA KANTOROVA, Section Chief of the Fertility and Population Ageing of the Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations received her PhD in demography from Charles University in Prague. Her research focuses on fertility, reproductive health and family dynamics, global fertility trends and projections, and policies in the context of low fertility. Additional work has focused on adolescent childbearing and family planning indicators for global monitoring of the Sustainable Development Goals, including the development of global estimates of adolescent birth rates for girls aged 10-14 and 15-19. Her research has been published in Population and Development Review, Studies in Family Planning, and Demographic Research.She will discuss governmental policy shifts in response to falling fertility—especially In Eastern Europe—and these policies’ effectiveness and fairness. Additionally, she will comment on what kinds of policies might be supportive of childbearing and bearing within the human rights framework of International Conference on Population and Development, Beijing Women’s Conference, and the Sustainable Development Goals.

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Governmental influence on childbearing: What’s really at stake?

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Governmental influence on childbearing: What’s really at stake?

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