From Your (Wo)man in Washington, Valerie Young

Nearly 4 out of 10 babies are born to unmarried women.  Have today’s teenaged girls run completely amok?  Not so.  The sudden spike in unwed motherhood is driven by the increasing number of women in their 20′s and 30′s who are choosing to become mothers without a husband on board.  The trend is seen by researchers at the National Center for Health Statistics and is based on a review of birth certificates across the United States.

There may be no single explanation, but several factors play a role. The social stigma for unmarried births has lessened considerably over the last 50 years. Women are increasingly able to sustain themselves financially and control their fertility. It is possible to choose motherhood outside of the marital relationship, and women are doing that in greater numbers than ever. For instance, between 2002 and 2006, unmarried women between ages 20 and 40 went from having 13% to 34% of all births. In 2007, the number was 40%.

Other countries have experienced the same trend in even greater numbers. In the United Kingdon, 44% of births are to unmarried women. In Iceland, Sweden, and France, the number is 50% or higher. In all countries, many, but not all, of the mothers live with, but are not married to, their children’s fathers.

Are women willing to forego marriage, but not miss out on motherhood? How will this change in the mothering experience affect the status of women with children? What does it mean for family and parental policy in the US? Let us know what you think by posting a comment below.

Click here for related article in the New York Times.

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