Feminism has taught young women that a career is far more important than bearing and raising children. This is why it comes as no surprise that 50% of women are now childless by the age of 30. Dr. Jordan Peterson sat down with YouTuber Chris Williamson to discuss this topic.

In the video, Peterson discusses the lies that women have been sold via feminism. Among those lies are that a career is the most important thing in a woman’s life and that children are a burden. Peterson states that women in their 20s now spend that decade of their life building successful careers only to find themselves yearning for a family by the time they reach 30. Why are women placing their careers over starting families?

There are many reasons as to why women are prioritizing careers before babies. Some are selfish reasons, others cultural, but regardless, they should be a cause of concern for our country. It is also important to note that feminism is not only to blame for the crisis women are finding themselves in.

The breakdown of the nuclear family during Millennials’ childhood years has contributed to women choosing careers over babies. Millennials are no strangers to the breakdown of the traditional family structure via divorce and single motherhood. Many had parents who fell victim to divorce culture or grew up in single-parent households. Divorce leaves deep emotional wounds that can be difficult to heal from. As a child, Millennial women watched as their mother struggled after a divorce while others never met their father. These experiences led to women believing that they must have an economically successful career before having children because there is always a chance that the father of her child may leave.

Teaching women that children are a burden also contributes to women choosing careers over babies. As a child, the Millennial woman witnessed firsthand how burdensome children appeared to be because she was that burdensome child. Daycare has been a booming industry since the ‘90s. As mothers entered the workforce by necessity or choice, their children had to be under someone’s care. Daycare centers have found themselves to be somewhat of a primary caretaker for many mothers’ children. Without the father in the home, mothers to Millennials did not have the choice of staying home with the children. Many Millennials experienced growing up in daycare, hardly seeing their parent(s). This experience led women to believe that children are burdensome but careers are not.

It would be disingenuous to only blame feminism for the predicament that Millennial women find themselves in now. Choosing a career before starting a family is a learned behavior through experiences that are unique to Millennials. Although there are many Millennial women who have chosen a career over starting a family, some women are waking up and making the necessary changes to reprioritize what is most important in their lives. We could call those women out on the lies they fell for, or we could show grace and help them embrace their newfound love of motherhood.