women at liberty to decide

There’s a quite interesting article in Aftenposten today which examines the issue of children as women’s choice of life; because women that choose to bring other human beings in the world choose a different direction of life than those who take advantage of the right not to. Both choices are just alternatives we women now have, which was not the case in the past. But the prejudice is still present in the contemporary society: a woman is expected to give birth at one moment in life.

The title of the article is “When biology becomes destiny”(Når biologi blir skjebne) and it actually makes a point: most women choose having children as a validation of their biological fulfilment. A woman must give birth as early as possible in her life, so that to be able to reach the days when as grandmother would give a helping hand to her daughter’s child raising.

Another point raised is the well-known quote of Simone de Beauvoir: “One is not born a woman, but becomes one.” That is to say society, with all its rules and expectations, shapes women’s minds and decisions they make in life. Which is not to say that women’s eagerness to have children is not genuine. It definitely is. But this is the result of so many years of role models women have had throughout history. It is a biological urge and it becomes destiny.

On the other hand, some women’s biological clock seems to be really quiet. Sometimes there are economic reasons for that, other times women just settle on some other fascinating things they find in life.

Either way, it is so great to finally have the equal right to men when it comes to the course of your own life.