1.3.1X Pro-natalist policy (France)

Question 1

Why France’s Code de la Famille was needed
(1.3.1X)

Answer 1

France was a country with concerns that professional women were choosing not to have children.

There was a rapidly decreasing support ratio, a low fertility rate and a falling birth rate

An increasing proportion of population is now over 60 whilst there are fewer economically active people and even fewer people having children

Fertility rate of France in 1960 was 2.75 children per women. In 1992, the total fertility rate had fallen to 1.67.

Today, 81% of women in France are employed

Question 2

Reasons for France’s low fertility rates
(1.3.1X)

Answer 2

Education: People are more aware of the availability of contraception and consequences an unplanned pregnancy can have on their career

Emancipation: Women may choose to follow their career choice rather than start a family while young

Later marriages: They have less children

Question 3

Benefits of France’s Code de la Famille

Answer 3

Maintained a stable workforce by encouraging childbirth with generous maternity leave and grants, encouraging and supporting working mothers without sacrificing their careers

Successfully achieved its goals of increasing fertility rates and supporting families.

Overtook Ireland to become highest-fertility nation in the EU (2 per women) in 2006

800,000 births, which was the highest since 1981

Question 4

Costs of France’s Code de la Famille

Answer 4

Costed the government billions.

Significant financial investment required to sustain the policy potentially strains government’s public finances in the future

If the policy failed, the country could have gone bankrupt

Increase in births could have been caused by immigration across the entirety of Europe, or the improved economic climate