ABSTRACT
This folder challenges the notions that not having children is “only” about infertility (i.e. a medical problem) and that it mostly relates to the domain of the “personal.” Instead, the analysis widens the perspective to include the social and political implications of childlessness. It raises uncomfortable questions, such as: Who is going to take care of the increasing number of people who are growing old without children, in an economic context that to an ever greater extent relies on the support provided by close family members? Are our democratic societies really inclusive and egalitarian? What happens when a growing proportion of citizens feel that they are invisible (or, when they are visible, misrepresented) and that their needs are ignored? What would it take to remove the burden of stigma currently placed on infertility and value every individual for the contribution he or she makes regardless of one’s reproductive ability?
