Regarding Lucy Fisher’s article “Farage says national birth rate must increase” (Report, February 19): while I agree with the objective, can I suggest that more of “our Judeo-Christian culture” is not the way to achieve it?
Judeo-Christian values, in common with many other religions, place the burden of child rearing squarely at women’s door, leaving men free to express their full “leadership potential” in all other arenas of life. And while it seems to be OK for Elon Musk to take his school-age child to work, at the White House no less, I doubt he grants his employees at Tesla or X the same freedom.
This is the fundamental reason why my capable, intelligent and highly educated daughter still suffers a credibility gap in the workplace, where young males fed on misogynistic social media posts are never short of condescending advice for her.
Japan and Korea have strong national identities and hardly any of the immigration that Nigel Farage would have us believe is the root of all evil: their birth rate is also in decline.
So if we want women to procreate, as I hope my daughter will one day, let’s spare them another helping of patriarchal “Judeo-Christian values”, and try making them feel safe, respected, and perhaps even try paying them the same as men?
Lucie Chaumeton
London N2, UK
