A lay, progressive and all-encompassing stand on the topic of falling birth rate: The Why Wait Agenda

The average age of first-time parents is ever increasing, as is the fertility gap – the disparity between the number of children people would like to have and the children they actually end up having. Several aspects may encourage or obstruct the choice to have children, especially among young adults (such as one's economic and professional situation, or equality within the couple). Not to mention the fact that millions of citizens are affected by infertility in the European Union, and that women still are discriminated against professionally for being potentially “at risk of motherhood”. The culture of parenthood needs changing.

The association Journalism for Social Change – with its initiative The Why Wait Agenda – and the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats at The European Parliament in Brussels are planning an event on the topic of the fertility gap that will take place on Wednesday, January 24th at the European Parliament. The event aims to launch the activity of The Why Wait Agenda and discuss fertility awareness, new families and delayed parenthood, gender inequality and stereotypes, parental leave policies and the need for the fertility gap to become a social and political priority.

After the opening speech, which will be given by MEP Brando Benifei (Socialists and Democrats group), host of the event, journalist Eleonora Voltolina, founder of the project and editor-in-chief of Journalism for Social Change, will outline the main topics of the discussion and introduce the speakers: Joyce Harper, professor of Reproductive Science at the Institute for Women’s Health, University College London; Alessandra Minello, professor of Demography at the University of Padova and principal investigator of the research project “FORTIES – Fertility Over foRTIES”; Jakub Dejewski, chairman at The European Fertility Society and ceo at IVF Media Ltd; Jens Van Tricht, Founder and director of the Emancipator Foundation and supporter of the MenCare Global Fatherhood Campaign and the MenCare Parental Leave Platform; and Yannick Fischer, Venture & Programmes Lead and Changemaker Europe Co-Lead at Ashoka Belgium.