2.8 Women and Demographic Change

Changing Social Values: Changing social values reduced fertility rates. People's opinions on women and their role in society has changed drastically overtime. People used to value women primarily for their ability to have babies, they would be encouraged to start families rather than getting jobs like men. In the UK, the total fertility rate has severely declined since the late 1800s. This is in part due to women being valued as more than just a womb and encouraged to get a job and education.

Access to Education: According to, https://www.oxford-royale.com/articles/history-womens-education-uk/, "You might know that the first women’s colleges at Oxford and Cambridge were founded in the 1860s and 70s, and conclude that there weren’t many educational opportunities for women available before then...The University of London was the first in the UK to award degrees to women, which it did in 1878. " The late 1800s were when the total fertility rate in the UK began to decline. Women having more access to education causes total fertility rates to decline. Women spend more time focusing on their education and career and will start families later in life, if at all. The graph on the left depicts the number of master's degrees conferred by gender, you can see that there are significantly more women receiving MS degrees than men.

Access to employment: According to, "Women and the UK Economy", "In the UK, 15.52 million women aged 16+ were in employment in October to December 2021, according to the ONS UK Labour Market bulletin. This is up 153,000 from the year before. The female employment rate was 72.2%, down from a record high of 72.7% in December 2019-February 2020." Women's access to employment greatly affects the total fertility rate. When women have more access to jobs and education the total fertility rate declines due to women waiting longer to start families. Women spend more time focusing on their careers and less time starting families which leads to a decline in total fertility rates. The graph to the left depicts the rise of working-age women in the UK in paid employment/self-employment.

Access to Health Care: Abortion is a major part of women's health care that affects fertility rates. When UK's government ruled that abortions should be provided in a safe and legal way, total fertility rates dropped. The chart on the left displays abortion rates throughout England and Wales. Until around 2016, abortions among people under 18 were far more common than abortions among people 35 and older. After around 2016, abortions among people 35 and older increased while abortions among people 18 and younger continued to decline.

Access to Contraception: When there is an increase in contraception use, there is a decline in fertility rates. Contraceptives such as birth control and condoms greatly reduce the risk of unexpected pregnancies. In the UK, you can get free contraception from contraception and sexual health clinics. The graph to the left displays contraceptives around the world.