Abstract
The challenges facing women in the workplace when it comes to reproductive healthcare is becoming a more complex and political hot-button issue. In 2023, the global total fertility rate was 2.3 children per woman, which was much lower than the fertility rate of 4.9 children per woman in the 1950s (Dattani, Rodés-Guirao, and Roser 2025). With global fertility rates on the decline (Bhattacharjee et al. 2024; Carneiro 2024; Fauser et al. 2024) and one in eight women of reproductive age facing numerous difficulties conceiving and carrying a pregnancy to term (Sohrab and Basir 2021), many working women are increasingly performing a precarious balancing act between career and life/family aspirations. Simultaneously, organisations are grappling with how to attract and retain female talent in a context where life-stage flexibility is increasingly demanded (Flynn and Leslie 2023; Wilkinson, Mumford, and Carroll 2023). At a governmental level, and in response to socio-cultural changes and the potential impact on societies, various countries globally have introduced public funding for fertility treatments (Fertility_Europe 2023, 2024; Helath_Service_Executive 2023b, a) and recognised the need for workplace supports including mandatory leave for women experiencing pregnancy loss (Kelly-Harrington et al. 2025) but, the political tide might be set to turn.
| Original language | English (Ireland) |
|---|---|
| Type | Invited Call for Papers |
| Publisher | John Wiley and Sons |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Apr 2025 |
UCC Futures
- Future of Work & the Economy
Keywords
- Fertility
- Reproductive Rights
- Reproductive Healthcare
- Workplace
- Societal Challenges
- Government Policy
- DEI
