A Quick Project Gender Perspective on Christopher Luxon's Call for More Babies.
In response to today's "tongue-in-cheek comment".
Christopher Luxon said “we need people. Here is the deal – New Zealand stopped replacing itself in 2016. I encourage all of you to go out there and have more babies if you wish, that would be helpful” while at the NZ Infrastructure Conference this morning (which has a predominately male audience), coming hot on the heels of his comments last week about contraception not being a “high medical need”. If Christopher Luxon wants to lead the country, we need him to do much, much better. These ‘off the cuff comments’ highlight his political naivety and disregard of issues that women care about.
Earlier this year, Project Gender met with Luxon to share what we have heard from women, wāhine, trans, non-binary and intersex people about what their top election issues are. Our research shows that affordable access to high-quality, low-cost childcare, healthcare and employment opportunities are top priorities.
It’s a shame that the evidence presented appears to have been completely disregarded by Luxon.
Todays’ comments raise important questions about the intersections of feminism and population growth - this is our hot take. (We know it is a much bigger issue - don’t even get us started on the intersectionality between this conversation and climate change!).
While acknowledging the significance of population dynamics, it is crucial to examine this issue through a feminist lens that prioritises women's autonomy, agency, and societal equality. Project Gender’s response aims to address Luxon's perspective, highlighting the need to challenge traditional gender roles, advocate for reproductive rights, and promote gender equality as essential pillars for empowering women.
Reproductive Autonomy:
Luxon's call for more babies fails to acknowledge the importance of reproductive autonomy and personal choice for women. It is a human right that women should have the freedom to make decisions about their own bodies and reproductive lives. Emphasising childbirth as a duty (have more babies!) not only disregards individual choices but also perpetuates the historical narrative of women's primary purpose being childbearing. Project Gender asks Luxon to respect women's reproductive autonomy and value their life decisions, whether it involves having children, pursuing careers, or engaging in other meaningful pursuits.
Supportive Infrastructure and Policy:
Addressing the declining birth rate requires more than just exhortations to have more babies. Creating structures and policies that enable women to balance their personal and professional lives effectively is critical. Along with others, Project Gender has called for accessible and affordable childcare, parental leave reform, flexible work arrangements, improved access to healthcare, and equitable sharing of caregiving responsibilities as things to invest in. By ensuring a linked-up, enabling system, women can pursue their aspirations while also having the option to start or expand their families, which can only be a good thing for our society.
Comprehensive Sex Education and Reproductive Rights:
A feminist response to Luxon's call for more babies highlights the importance of comprehensive sex education and reproductive rights. Empowering women to make informed choices about their bodies and sexuality ensures that they have control over their reproductive lives. Access to affordable contraception (see last week’s comments), safe and legal abortion, and comprehensive reproductive healthcare services is crucial for women to exercise their reproductive autonomy. By advocating for these rights, feminism aims to safeguard women's wellbeing and enable them to make decisions that align with their individual circumstances.
Christopher Luxon's call for ‘more babies!’ highlights his concern for the declining population rate which many people share, but a feminist response highlights the need for a nuanced approach that empowers women and promotes gender equality. By prioritising reproductive autonomy, challenging traditional gender roles, supporting women with comprehensive policy support, advocating for reproductive rights, and addressing gender inequality, we can create a society where women have the freedom to make choices about their bodies, lives, and families. Empowering women should be at the core of any discussion about population growth, ensuring that their voices and agency are central to the conversation.
Chris Luxon has already got our suggestions for the most tangible actions that he could take to improve gender equity in Aotearoa - if he’d like to discuss, we’re happy to have another chat.
Ngā mihi nui,
Project Gender
Gilead?!