Date Posted: 5/8/2012 4:13:19 AM
Posted By: rodriguez mwalenga Membership Level: Silver Total Points: 110
* Family planningFamily planning is used to ensure that a woman gets a child when she actually wants one. It reduces accidental pregnancies and ensures a controlled family size.* Raising the level of educationEducation, particularly that of women is very important in population control. Education changes cultural beliefs and attitudes. It emancipates women and makes people more liberal in approach. Education on family planning can be made compulsory for all through the school curriculum. For those past school age, this can be done through adult and continuing education, counseling, etc.* Increasing employment opportunities for womenAs more and more women join career jobs, they tend to be occupied by work. This acts as an alternative to bringing up children. A career woman might find children a burden since they interfere with her work. Some careers require complete devotion and leave little room for other activities, including caring for children. * Increasing incomesIncreased incomes result in an increased demand for durable goods such as electronic goods, houses and furniture (instead of children). There is also an increased demand for leisure activities such as holiday outings, films and theatre shows, sports, and music. Well-off people tend to stay away from homes for longer hours compared to poor people. Increased incomes mean better living standards that people will usually guard against losing.* Increased security in old ageIn communities where children are regarded as security in old age, introduction of pension schemes, insurance schemes and incomes for old people can substitute as security for old age. Efforts could also be made to ensure that more people are within the National Social Security Fund programme.* Enacting child labour lawsWhere children are regarded ass suppliers of labour, stringent laws can be enforced to restrict the minimum age for child employment. For example, laws could be enacted to make it illegal for anybody to employ a child below the age of 16.* Balanced economic growthThis can be done through decentralization of industries and other economic activities. This ensures better regional income distribution and removes pressure from a few urban centers. As is the case with increased incomes, there will be a tendency for family sizes to shrink.* Raising the cost of bringing up childrenMeasures aimed at imposing greater burden on those with more children can be introduced. Those with children could be taxed according to the number of children they have. Subsidies and tax reliefs could be done away with. Maternity or paternity leaves could be denied. In addition, higher school fees, medical care fees, etc, could be imposed on those with more than the stated number of children.
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