The Tragic Disconnect Between Men And Women

No Sex, No Babies, Lots of Loneliness, Ageing Societies and Shrinking Populations

This article was previously published on FORBES. I share some of my most popular blogs here for (paying) elderberries subscribers.

Today’s Male Role Models?

The news is full of seemingly disparate themes that urgently need connecting. The first is the nerdy macro-economics of demographics. China is shrinking for the first time in 60 years. South Korea’s birthrate is plummeting towards levels never seen before while that of the US is at a hundred-year low. The second strand is the toxic masculinity seeping across the planet, from the Tates and the Trumps, to the beleaguered backlash from women-repressing regimes in Iran and Afghanistan, and the general rise of gender-based violence across the world. The third is the crescendo of mental health and loneliness among the young. What’s the connection between demographics, toxic masculinity and epidemic levels of loneliness? Women.

The link between the three is the rising independence of women - personally, professionally and politically - and the lack of a parallel rise in inspiring leaders and pathways for young men. If we can’t balance opportunity – and connection – between men and women, it’s not just our couples that will suffer, but also our countries and collective destinies.

Demographics is Destiny – and Women Are Voting With Their Wombs