If Not Now, Then when? Childbearing Decision-Making in Ukrainian Cities during Russia’s Full-Scale Invasion

Anna Popovych, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Brienna Perelli-Harris, University of Southampton
Theodore P. Gerber, University of Wisconsin–Madison

We study views and experiences of childbearing decision-making during the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The existing literature on the impact of armed conflict on fertility has predominantly used quantitative methods and focused on post-conflict periods. In our study, we conducted 22 in-depth online-interviews and 3 focus-groups with women aged 18 to 39 residing in three Ukrainian cities. Although our sample cannot be viewed as representative, our interviews demonstrate a diversity of mechanisms behind fertility outcomes. On the one hand, war produces widespread fear, trauma, and uncertainty, economic woes and separation from loved ones, which lead to decisions to delay or forego childbearing. On the other hand, uncertainty about the war's duration, coupled with a strong sense of life's fragility and traditional views on family, can motivate a desire to have a child immediately. Pressure from social networks can simultaneously influence fertility control, by emphasizing war-induced dangers, and encourage childbearing, based on conservative values. While many perceive that conditions during war are simply too unfavorable for having children, others associate childbearing with a patriotic duty in the face of an enemy attack.

Keywords: Population, Shocks and Pandemics, Family Planning and Contraception, Qualitative data/methods/approaches

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