The Controversial Reasons Why Intelligent Women Aren’t Having Children – My Response
- Just Women Collective
- Jul 10, 2024
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 19, 2024
By Sheetal Randev
This week, an article from Elite Daily resurfaced in my social feeds, and it reignited a fire in me. It's disheartening to see that, even in 2024, women are still being scrutinized for their choices, particularly when it comes to motherhood.
What particularly caught my attention was the reference to a controversial study by London School of Economics researcher Satoshi Kanazawa. In his book, “The Intelligence Paradox: Why the Intelligent Choice Isn't Always the Smart One,” Kanazawa suggests that for every 15 IQ points a woman possesses, her maternal urge drops by 25 percent. He claims that the smarter a woman is, the less likely she is to want to have kids.
Reading such claims is not only upsetting but also infuriating. This study perpetuates the harmful stereotype that intelligent women are somehow deficient if they choose not to have children. It implies that a woman’s intelligence is at odds with her desire or ability to be a mother, which is simply not true.
As a woman who has faced personal health reasons that prevented me from becoming a mother, I find it deeply troubling that society still pushes these outdated narratives. Choosing to be childfree, whether due to personal circumstances or by choice, should be respected and understood, not judged or demeaned. Intelligence and motherhood are not mutually exclusive, and suggesting otherwise is a disservice to all women.
At Just Women Collective, we believe that every woman has the right to define her own path without being judged by archaic standards. Women should be celebrated for their choices, whether they choose to pursue a career, motherhood, both, or neither. We must challenge these old-fashioned ideas and embrace a world where intelligent, ambitious women are valued for who they are, not for how they conform to societal expectations.
Join our community and let's continue to support and uplift each other, rejecting the notion that our worth is tied to motherhood or any other singular aspect of our lives. Every woman deserves to shine in all her brilliance, unapologetically.
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