Singapore Turns Against Itself as Pressure for Babies Irks Women

By EmmaZahn on Mon, 01/21/2013 - 3:03pm |

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is cranking up a national debate on babies this month, with proposals to Parliament that would attempt to stem the country’s slumping birthrate.

....Sim, 33, embodies Lee’s challenge to convince Singaporeans to wed younger and procreate more, four decades after concern about overcrowding prompted his father to urge citizens to delay nuptials and have smaller families. The younger Lee is caught between a rock and a hard place. While the birthrate was about 1.3 children per woman in 2012 -- barely enough to replace one parent -- a backlash against soaring immigration forced the government to curb the influx of foreigners, leading to labor shortages and slower economic growth.

URL:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-01-21/singapore-turns-against-itself-as-pressure-for-babies-irks-women.html