Baby bonuses fail to address the fear of falling behind
When one of my seniors from medical school was pregnant during her surgical residency, she planned the exact date of her C-section so she could complete her training on time. When I asked why she didn’t consider taking maternity leave to recuperate afterwards, she said she couldn’t bring herself to lag behind her peers. “I didn’t want motherhood to slow me down,” she said. In medicine, it is…
In Hong Kong and Singapore, where record-low birth rates persist, governments have attempted to entice parents with increased newborn bonuses and extended parental leave. However, these financial incentives fail to address the underlying cultural anxieties that prevent couples from starting families. In both cities, the pressure to excel academically and professionally is immense, with parents investing heavily in tutoring and exam preparation.
The competitive nature of the education system and the urgency to advance one's career before having children create a daunting prospect of parenthood. Even though generous policies may alleviate some financial burdens, they do not alter the perception that slowing down to have a child is falling behind. To encourage families to have children, a shift in societal expectations of what constitutes success is necessary.
Providing protected parental leave and flexible working arrangements alone will not suffice; a change in mindset about the value of starting a family is required to make parenthood an appealing choice.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post - Hong Kong's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
