New Legacy Radio

In the United States, the number of adults over age 55 15.2 million are living without children, while in the UK, the number of people over 65 without children, is expected to rise from over 1.2 million to 2 million by 2030. Within our community, many are living at the intersection aging and not having children. The impact of both pronatalism and ageism from social policy and care to housing and community, is often lived in silence and social exclusion. The COVID pandemic further isolated those who live living and are often not considered policy meant to meet specific needs during such times. While there are a growing number of gerontologists ad experts in the ageing field, our guest today, Patricia Faulks has a unique voice in this area, based on her lived experiences and expert insight. Please join us for this necessary and meaningful conversation today!

People without children, those who are single, and diverse families remain excluded from status quo economic and family policies. Further, economic models that drive the social status quo, force policies that are neither inclusive, nor do they meet the realities of the population. The needs of households for individuals and relationships, which include chosen family require the same level of rights and protection granted to traditional family structures and households. What can we do to advocate for policy that reflects inclusive and equitable needs for our communities? Here to share their work with us, is Diana Adams, founder of Chosen Family Law Center, Inc., a non-profit legal services organization, and their own boutique LGBTQ family law and mediation firm Diana Adams Law & Mediation, PLLC, both based in New York City They are an advocate for the rights and protection of individuals and diverse families. Their work has already influences legal changes in the area of housing, amidst other initiatives. Tune in to learn more about the incredible work of these organizations and their founder, and how you can join us in taking action for continued change, which includes and protects us all.

We often discuss the personal aspects of pronatalism, both in the community of people without children and on this show. We also look at how we are impacted in our everyday environments, such as the workplace. What comes to mind when you consider the global impact of pronatalism?

In this episode, we will explore the greater dimensions of pronatalism, including social stigma, reproductive autonomy and responsibility, and ecological perspectives. We will also speak to population pressures and the importance of centering discourse around the impact of population.

To guide us in this conversation, we are excited to have Nandita Bajaj, the Executive Director of Population Balance with us today! Nandita brings a depth of knowledge, wisdom and compassion as an educator and leading voice on the realities and impact of pronatalism.

Please join us to learn more, and share any questions you may have with us, ahead of the show!

The Dobbs decision in the United States has created ripple effects of grave consequences for access to abortion, and beyond. What was is like before the Roe v. Wade decision, and what are the current realities? How do the expectations and experiences around access to abortion differ from generation to generation? State laws which prohibit access to abortion, impact all people who can get pregnant, and exponentially impact women. What can we truly say of the status of women in the US today? Joining us to discuss these issues is Karen Mulhauser, the first National Director for the National Abortion Rights Action (NARAL), in Washington, DC, and Himaja Nagireddy, who is the current UNA-USA Youth Observer to the UN. Please join us for this in-depth conversation and commit to ensuring your vote makes a difference on November 8th!

In a world driven by pronatalist economic systems, policies and rules that assume we will all have children, how does being childfree or permanently childless impact your financial planning? What considerations are key for our community? Joining us today is Dr. Jay Zigmont, a Certified Financial Planner focused on wealth strategies for people without children. We will discuss financial planning, which includes the needs and desires of individuals and families without children. Dr. Zigmont will also share findings of his recent research report: "Being Childfree may not make you rich, but it may make you happy." Tune in to learn more!

Excluded from policy measures and absent in DEI frameworks, even where laws and policies are designed to prevent discrimination based on family status, pronatalism is so deeply engrained in our social, professional and systemic psyches, that its impact remains unacknowledged. As a result, non-parents remain invisible, while navigating daily and life-long experiences of exclusion and inequity.

From our own internalized patriarchal, pronatalist influences, to the ways we continue to cope and mitigate social and professional spaces that do not account for us, it can be challenging for people without children to express why the urgency to dismantle pronatalism matters.

How do we begin to unravel the embedded layers of cultural, structural and systemic norms that continue to re-enforce the social devaluation of approximately one quarter of the global population? What is needed to acknowledge the population that is, rather than the one that is theorized, based on marriage and children, to create measurable predictability, as economic units?

Join us for a revealing, in-depth conversation with Jody Day. We will explore new perspectives around the question of why the deeply adverse impact of pronatalism matters and why the inclusion of non-parents remains a silent issue within the workplace & beyond.

In this episode, we will examine the presence of pronatalist influences throughout the mental health profession, from leadership and institutions to research and training. Within these critical roles and educational spaces, the mental health profession largely obscures the lived experiences of people without children. Given these influences, what is the impact on people without children, both as clients and practitioners in mental health? To help us navigate this conversation about what is needed to create greater inclusion and understanding of the needs of people without children, we will be joined by Katie Maynard. Katie is an experienced licensed Clinical Social Worker, who is advancing innovative and meaningful change in the mental health space, through her work with clinicians, to expand their competency with therapy that is affirmative of childless and childfree people. Join us for this relevant, insightful conversation!

The reasons for someone not having a child, by choice, chance or circumstance, are varied and vast. For some females, it is known early in their lives that a given medical diagnosis will determine their fertility, and for others, it may be undefined infertility later in life, or even the unforeseen consequences of cultural practices, which lead to not having children.

Some of the topics we have discussed to date on New Legacy Radio are still often deemed to be taboo; from childlessness, to the unspoken realities of IVF and the lack of transparency and accountability around reproductive technologies. We believe these are necessary, inclusive and compassionate conversations to have in this space.

Today we will speak with Angela Peabody, the Executive Director & Founder of Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation, who is on the forefront of legal accountability which addresses Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) practices, and support for survivors of FGM.

We will discuss what FGM is, the experiences of survivors, and the reproductive impact on women who have experienced FGM. Join us for this in-depth, compassionate conversation, to bring about greater awareness of these experiences, and in recognition of FGM survivors who are part of our collective community of people without children.

How does pronatalism impede the collective power of women? Why does this remain a missing, mainstream conversation, and what does it mean for next generation advocacy? In this episode, we discuss the ways in which women can be biased again other women, and in particular, our complicity at the intersection of womanhood and mothering. What are the intergenerational issues and opportunities that can move us toward our collective power? Join us as we explore these questions and more with Kate Kaufmann, international, award-winning author of 'Do You Have Kids? Life When the Answer is No.'

People without children remain a largely invisible, excluded population, socially and economically. Despite the growth in the number of people without children, ranging from 20%-30% globally, statistics and policy consideration to meet the needs and realities of our community remain outside the mainstream. This is particularly true in academic research, social and economic planning, and policy development. Today, we will be in conversation with Dr. Zachary Neal, an associate professor of psychology and global urban studies at Michigan State University, and Dr. Jennifer Watling Neal, a professor of psychology at Michigan State University. We will discuss their recently released research findings on childfree demographics and neighborhood satisfaction for those who do not have children. We will also assess some of the ways we can best create change on the basis of greater data-driven information, that reflects our community.