Northern Ireland Population Declining
Northern Ireland’s population will begin declining in 20 years, the BBC recently reported. The fertility rate in Northern Ireland has steadily declined to its current all-time low of 1.74, well below the 2.2 needed for replacement. In 1974 the fertility rate was 2.78. The total number of births overall is down to 21,500, from 26,000 in 1991.
Another recent BBC report stated that more and more British women are forgoing having children until they are older, or not having them at all. One in five women has not had a child by the time she is 40, according to the Office for National Statistics. This number is twice as high as it was 20 years ago. The average age for women having their first child is 29 in England, and 26 in Northern Ireland. Also, two out of three women born in the 70s has not yet had a child.
Many women put off having children because of their careers, but may be unable to have children when they finally decide to do so. While the fertility rate is declining, the number of children born outside of wedlock is increasing. Currently 2 out of every 5 children are born to mothers who are not married.
(Dot Kirby, “NI fertility rate at lowest level,” BBC News, 17 June 2002; “More women staying childless,” BBC News, 23 June 2002)
PSI Ad in Malawi Dangerous
Population Services International, which promotes itself as “the leading social marketing organization in the world,” is facing opposition to its use of sex to promote condoms in the southern African nation of Malawi.
A PSI ad being shown on billboards in Malawi features a “scantily clad woman,” intending to encourage the use of condoms. The censorship board wrote to PSI and asked them to remove the advertisement, after numerous churches and youth groups complained.
The churches signed a petition voicing their objections to the ad, stating. “Enticing the population to sex to promote the sale of condoms is like happily dousing us with petrol for the sake of promoting fire extinguishers .… The sexy image employed achieves two effects — seducing the mind, thus creating a craving for sex as well as offering a solution in latex.”
(“Brian Ligomeka, “Hot and bothered about sexy ads,” News24.com, 30 May 2002; www.psi.org)
