Lilly Lutz Blog #17

In France, most of the women are literate and they earn about 72% of what males make. There are public day cares and the females jobs are very flexible when it comes down to maternity leave. Their husbands are helpful and support the females while they are working. The average fertility rate in France is 1.9 and has decreased by one from 1960. The fathers and mothers are very supportive of all of the children and make happy families. 

In Saudi Arabia, the fertility rate is 2.4 and has decreased from 7.2 in 1960. 25% of the women work, leaving most women to care for the children, so the fertility rates would be higher than a having 2 working parents. The women in the article did not get to choose who her husband was so once she had her children the man left, which made her a single mother. She has to work and take care of the children all on her own. Lubna is considered too old to marry but she thinks she will find the right man and marry. The fertility rates decreased for the mothers like her because choosing your marriage was not an option during that time. 

In China, women have an average of 1.7 live births. Decades of limits on family size and a culture of women working has led to the steep decline in China's fertility rate. 69% of Chinese women are in the workforce. The women in this article continued to work while she was pregnant. Her company congratulated her, but just a few days later she was sent on a business trip where she was pushed to do things she couldn't handle. She filed a arbitration suit and right after that her company shut her out. Because of this incident, her confidence has chipped away and she struggles with postpartum depression. She also blames herself for not taking good enough care of her child.

In Nigeria, women have an average of 5.5 live births and 41% of Nigerian women are literate. The women in the article graduated university at age 20 and she got married at 31, so for 11 years people would ask her why she hasn't gotten married yet. Her mom got married young and had children young. Many people say "the time is ticking" when you get to be a certain age. She was thriving in her career and decided it wasn't the right time when she was young, but it is her mother's expectation that a girl has children young and stays home to take care of them. She later explains that she would not change anything and she is enjoying life the way it is.