Media Release

6 October 2003

Why a Falling Birthrate?

New Zealand First is seeking a Select Committee inquiry into New Zealand working women’s experiences.

“A study by Dr Janet Sceats, a Waikato demographer, raises a number of vital social and economic issues, the full implications of which need to be examined before any knee-jerk reactions are taken,” said New Zealand First Family Affairs Spokeswoman Barbara Stewart.

Dr Sceats outlined that juggling work and family life has become so difficult that some women are choosing not to have children at all. Her study also reveals rising numbers of women are returning to work within six months of giving birth, largely because they cannot survive on one income.

“There are a myriad reasons why women may be choosing not to have children, or to return to work earlier and earlier. It is important that we gain an understanding of the conditions that dictate the decisions,” says Mrs Stewart.

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