Why Being Childfree Should Be An Option For Any Woman

Women who decide to be childfree get a bad rap in Indian culture. I think having kids and not having kids are equal, and one should not be derided over the other. Your personal choice depends on what kind of person you are and what your values are.

However, there are people who think that children is mandatory for keeping the Indian family intact. And I'm not saying that people who choose not to have kids absolutely hate kids- most like kids and are very nurturing people, they just don't think they could do it full time. That's like saying that just because you like football casually you should become a football player.

I think that's a very selfless view to have rather than just bringing a child into the world because you want it and not thinking of whether you can handle the responsibilities to give it a good upbringing. This is the opposite of selfish, which is what some people believe about women not having children.

Additionally, there are even more obstacles for Indian women should they choose to have kids (tradition, meddling society, expectations of how they should be as a mother/conduct their family). Some women don't have consent over their body or family planning after marriage because they are seen as the property of their husband's family.

You have to realize that love isn't based on blood. You can adopt a child or love a child that isn't your own blood like it's your own, just like you can abuse your child even if it's your own. Your DNA has nothing to do with your love - your child could grow up to be a completely different person than you whereas someone that's not related might be more similar. An extreme example is a child that grows up to be a serial killer.

Anyways, these are just my $.02 on why being childfree should be an option for any woman. You should not look at children like assets, you should raise a child because you want to give it love. Even better if you adopt a child from a broken home that would not have had that life if you had not taken care of it.

Indian culture cannot come at the detriment of an individual's freedom and happiness.