India, with a current population size of 133 crore is the second-most populous country in the world. According to The World Population Prospects 2019, India is projected to surpass China as the world’s most populous country by 2027. The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) recently said that it will draft the roadmap for Population Stabilisation in the country. This article examines existing socio-cultural barriers and reasons why population stabilization may not happen in India quickly. We review several important socio-cultural factors contributing to varying levels of sensitization of people towards family planning and their readiness for contraceptives.
Poverty: Poverty is one of the most prominent factors that contribute to population growth. Poverty is defined as the inability to obtain necessities such as food, clothing, housing, and education. These necessities are referred to as “basic needs”. It is not only financial needs that lead people to have more children, but also social and cultural ones. Especially in undeveloped communities, an increase in population number is often perceived as a sign of progress. Therefore, increasing the number of children becomes a status symbol for families and a source of pride.
Illiteracy: Population growth, while playing a huge role in socio-economic inequalities is only one part of the story. Education and health have become a battleground for rights. In most parts of the world population growth is at a rate that makes it impossible to sustain resources and services. With new generations being bigger than the older generation, there is greater strain on things like water and food resources. Many societies feel threatened by declining standards of living created by population growth which, combined with less education, higher illiteracy rates and greater inequality, lead to lower levels of family planning across the board.
Rural barriers: The issue of birth control is highly influenced by socio-cultural barriers. The problem of population growth is more acute in the villages than in cities. There are different social and cultural barriers to halt the population growth in villages. These factors make it difficult to practice family planning. Advertisements showing the positive side of using contraceptives are not shown as often in television or newspapers in rural areas as compared to urban areas, because family planning is considered one of the five cardinal sins. The socio-cultural barrier also has a very strong influence on women's childbearing decisions and it prevents them from accessing modern methods of contraception. It is found that even if a woman wants to use contraception she cannot get it easily because of this reason.
Social pressure: Traditionally in most Indian families, it is a cultural norm for the family to have at least one son. Therefore this increased the birth rate exponentially. This was also termed in the economic survey as son meta-preference.
Early marriage: Many people are not married for love but they are forced to marry at a very early age by the influence of society. Such girls are taken as second or third wives, which favors the expenses of men more than women and this in turn is a catalyst for overpopulation. To further encourage population growth, extreme poverty and poor health care, in many societies, also contribute to maternal mortality, risks for women and fear during childbirth.
Perception against family planning: One of the major socio-cultural factors against the existence of low fertility in India is a strong perception of family planning. In the Indian context, giving birth to a child is considered a gift from God hence, it is believed that people should have as many children as they can. In fact, having a child is seen as an important manifestation of love and affection for husband or wife and parents by children. On the other hand, if a woman fails to produce any child or if she is failing to bear a child after several years of marriage then, she is likely to be criticized or ridiculed.
Patriarchal mindset: The patriarchal mindset, which is deeply entrenched in our society, is one of the major hurdles to population stabilization. Patriarchy means the domination of men over women. Mostly this domination is not physical or material; rather, it is based on socially recognized norms of behavior towards family planning. There are some other socio-cultural barriers against population stabilization that also should be discussed separately.
Education: Education is the key to all development in a country. It is actually a kind of empowerment. No education, no empowerment. Theoretically, it will be good if one has higher qualification but practically it may not always work out this way due to various reasons, including family situations. The literacy rate among women for India is low compared to other nations. If women are educated, chances are very high that they can contribute meaningfully towards family income and yet contribute to the growth of overall per capita income of the nation.
Spreading awareness: The State Government has to take the initiative and think of unconventional methods to spread awareness. Awareness about population stabilization should be included in our school syllabus as well as there is a need for Anganwadi and Aasha centers too and women should be educated.
Reduction of infant mortality rate: In addition, societal costs of a high infant mortality rate include the psychological stress and opportunity costs associated with the grief of losing children, especially for poor families. The term "psychic costs" refers to these mental health effects, while "opportunity costs" include the loss of potential income and other effects on productivity and earning capacity.
Women empowerment: Women empowerment plays a key role in family planning. Women are expected to take all the decisions relating to family planning, whether it is using contraception or not using any. If a woman decides to use birth control measures she must be sure of the consequences.
Government schemes on par with efficient family planning: Governments around the world are taking initiatives in this regard. Many opt for having children for the purpose of security during the later stage of life. If the government provides enough security through increased welfare schemes for the older population, people will opt for far lesser children.
Promotion of the girl child: Women in India are often not treated as equals and this is represented in the fact that dowry costs are one of the leading causes of deaths among young women. In a world where all human life should be held equal, especially when it comes to basic rights, such as having an education, it is surprising to find those female children are seen as ‘expendable’.
