Lower Fertility Webinar Series
Our webinar series on the new lower-fertility world
We are in the midst of an unprecedented and global shift to lower fertility. In Europe and East Asia, fertility rates are so low that each generation will be half the size of the preceding one. Even many middle- and lower-middle-income countries, like Uruguay and Bangladesh, have fertility rates below replacement. What does this new reality mean for the way we live, work, and plan for the future?
Our new webinar series will explore the implications of lower fertility in four critical areas—family planning and reproductive health, the future of work, depopulation and resilience, and national security. Centering data and evidence in our discourse, we’ll tackle such questions as:
- How do the challenges and opportunities brought by slower population growth and age structural shifts vary around the world?
- Which sectors and stakeholders are most affected, and in what ways?
- Are there any aspects of the low fertility panic that are warranted, and what kinds of ideas have been proposed to counter them or promote resilience?
The first webinar, centering on family planning and reproductive health, took place on June 26; the recording is available below. Watch this space for details on the rest of the series.
Webinar 1
Challenging the Low-Fertility Panic: A New Narrative for Reproductive Health
June 26 at 10:00 am ET
In the new lower-fertility world, how can we create supportive policies and healthcare access that ensures reproductive autonomy? While the global population is still growing, two out of three people worldwide live in a country with below-replacement fertility rates. No matter the setting, there are people having fewer children than they desire, and more children than they intended. How can we help support women, couples, and families to achieve their intended family size—including ensuring broad access to contraception and family planning services, as well as assisted reproductive technology?
Panelists:
- Fadekemi Akinfaderin, Chief Global Advocacy Officer, Fòs Feminista
- Traci Baird, President and CEO, EngenderHealth
- Alessio Cangiano, Acting Chief, Population and Development Branch, UNFPA
- Jessica Grose, Opinion Writer, The New York Times
- Sanghamitra Singh, Chief of Programs, Population Foundation of India
- Yohannes Dibaba Wado, Research Scientist, African Population and Health Research Center
Moderated by: Apoorva Jadhav (Demographer), Jennifer Sciubba (PRB)
Read the follow-up blog: You Asked, We Answered.
For more on this topic, consider the following resources:
- Rose Maruru, « De l’engagement à la pratique : Comment la localisation se fait-elle localement ? », EPIC-Africa. Also available in English: “From Commitment to Practice: How is Localisation Doing Locally?”, Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation, Aug. 16, 2023. (Rose Maruru is the founder of the Dakar-based EPIC-Africa, which seeks to enhance philanthropic impact by filling critical data and capacity gaps in the philanthropic market infrastructure in Africa.)
- Adama Coulibaly, « Décoder les mots-clés du développement : Comprendre la signification de la localisation et de la décolonisation, » EPIC-Africa. Also available in English: “Decoding Development Buzzwords: Understanding the Meaning of Localization and Decolonization.” (Adama Coulibaly is Global Programs Director, Oxfam International.)
- Abdoul Karim Saidou, « La participation citoyenne dans les politiques publiques de sécurité en Afrique : analyse comparative des exemples du Burkina Faso et du Niger, » International Development Policy | Revue internationale de politique de développement 11, no. 1 (2019). Also available in English: “Citizen participation in public security policies in Africa: a comparative analysis of the examples of Burkina Faso and Niger.”
- World Bank, Engaging Citizens for Better Development Results (Independent Evaluation Group, Washington, DC: World Bank, 2018).
- Michel Maietta, “Shifting the Power: A Few Hard Truths on Localisation,” Inter-Agency Research and Analysis Network.
- Coopération Canada, Le transfert de pouvoir au sein de la coopération internationale : Etablir des liens (2023). Also available in English: Cooperation Canada Shifting Power in International Cooperation.
- Dylan Mathews, “Localization, Decolonizing and #ShiftThePower: Are We Saying the Same Thing?” June 14, 2022.
- Localisation and Decolonisation: the difference that makes the difference, Peace Direct (2022).
- Beyond the buzzwords: how can we fix localisation to shift power in humanitarian aid? September 3, 2024, Dr Hamid Foroughi, Dr Paul R Kelly
- Andrea Cornwall, Karen Brock – Beyond Buzzwords: “Poverty Reduction”, “Participation” and “Empowerment” UNRISD Nov 2005
- Localization at USAID: the vision and approach, August 2022.
- TIME Initiative: Landscape Analysis (2023).
- Dr. Allysha C. Maragh-Bass, Dr. Tamar Chitashvili – Language Matters: Core Concepts in Equity-Based Reform in Global Development.
- Moses Isooba, How Use of Language Can Breathe Life into Localization, July 2024. Moses Isooba is head of the Uganda National NGO Forum and a member of Re-Imagining the International NGO (RINGO).
Webinar 2
The Future of Work in a Lower-Fertility World
Date and time TBD
RSVP
Webinar 3
Depopulation and Resilience in a Lower-Fertility World
Date and time TBD
Webinar 4
National Security in a Lower-Fertility World
Date and time TBD
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