Women's preferences, fertility and family policy: the case for diversity

The causes of fertility decline in western countries are complex and multimodal. While pro-nationalist policies have no guarantee of success, this article argues that the best approach is one recognising the diversity of women’s preferences. Australia should institutionalise pluralism in family policy by adopting a stance of active neutrality, supporting all women in their diverse work/lifestyle preferences. Copyright. Monash University and the author/s