How to repopulate France? This question has been animating our country for several days. The birth rate has been steadily declining for 10 years. In 2023 there were 678,000 births, or 6.6% less than in 2022 and 20% less than in 2010. The observation is clear: French women have fewer children.
The President of the Republic, guarantor of an economic model that relies on a positive threshold of renewal, has since declared “war” on this multifactorial and international sterility, according to his bellicose vocabulary. However, despite the alarmist speeches of public authorities and the frugal support of parents, our country has one of the best fertility rates in Europe (1.79).
Coincidentally, a video from Norway is currently making waves on social networks. On their Instagram account with more than two million subscribers @julievlorentzen, a pair of mothers share their daily lives and recently released a video extolling the merits of the Norwegian system. Democratized breastfeeding in the workplace, paid sick days, co-parent recognition for same-sex couples and local health specifics, in Norway motherhood finds its place in the professional world and everyone finds it normal.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Julie Lorentzen (@julievlorentzen)
The secret of Norwegian mothers: invested fathers
In a country that considers equality as one of the founding values of society, men and women are no longer assigned to specific areas. In Norway, mothers are welcome in the public sphere, but their partners are also expected to participate in the family sphere.
Since 2019, families have benefited from approximately a year of parental leave. Co-parents each receive 15 weeks paid at 100% of their starting salary. They can then benefit from an additional 16 weeks. Provided that the father has spent his first 15 weeks.
From that moment on, parenting will no longer be considered an exclusively female domain. Even though in Norway the majority of large companies are run by men (78%), this decompartmentalization abolishes the boundaries between inside and outside. Men and women can therefore combine experiences, regardless of their gender.
Should France take inspiration from Norway?
If this video is so widely shared it is because it is the dream of all mothers who, in the rest of Europe, have to fend for themselves to reconcile career and motherhood.
This is the case of France which considers parenting as a matter reserved for women. Men stand out on the public and professional scene, indifferent to the problems faced by their partners.
How can we demand that women continue to reproduce when we condemn them to having to sacrifice an important part of their personal lives? Norway and the Scandinavian countries have understood that this is not possible. However, these territories are not utopian lands of abundance. The actions implemented to guarantee gender equality above all serve a community-based social model.
If we think only in terms of fertility index, this approach is insufficient, neither Norway nor its neighbors record better rates than France. However, the enthusiasm for these videos and the model broadcast indicates this to us the Scandinavian approach allows individuals to thrive in all aspects of their existence. Isn’t this the main thing?
How can the state dare to demand children from women if it is not already capable of taking care of the families already struggling with all this?
So basically, there are only good reasons to draw inspiration from Norwegian measures…
Do you like our articles? You’ll love our podcasts. All our series, urgently listen to here.
Source: Madmoizelle
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
