Family Planning, Declining Fertility and the Convergence of Family Policies

Over the last fifty years, reproductive behaviour has become widely accepted as a major concern of governments. In the 1960s, governments were urged to strive for ‘zero population growth’ but in 1968, the United Nations began viewing family planning as a human rights issue rather than focusing only on population control and demographics. By the 1990s, UN documents were empowering women in matters of reproduction and urging governments to ensure their access to a wide range of family planning services. Now, widespread use of contraceptives and abortion, and below-replacement fertility rates are beginning to concern some governments, churches and advocacy groups. Based on a larger research project on the impact of ‘globalization’ on family policies in OECD countries, this paper demonstrates that pressures from international organizations continue to encourage the harmonization of family planning services and practices. Nevertheless, national policies and services are more likely to be influenced by political ideas about the role of the state in family life, concerns about healthcare expenditures, and the politics of choice. Family planning and fertility rates are converging in OECD countries but not necessarily in the direction approved by supra-national organizations, some governments or social conservative groups.