The government of France has launched a new program encouraging 29-year-old couples to start families, as the country’s fertility rate declines.
France made a comprehensive 16-point strategy to tackle the drop in birthrate. Officials revealed that last year recorded more deaths than births, a trend experts describe as a demographic “shock.”
Climate and migration scholar François Gemenne stated that the imbalance has increased fears about France’s ageing population and long-term economic sustainability.
Under the new plan, authorities will send targeted letters to 29-year-old citizens to raise awareness about fertility timelines and family planning options.
A dedicated online platform titled “My Fertility” will also be launched to provide guidance and medical information. In addition, the government plans a nationwide communication campaign, including enhanced reproductive health education in schools.
To further support prospective parents, free egg-freezing services will be offered to individuals aged 29 to 37. The number of egg-freezing centres will also expand significantly, increasing from 40 to 70 nationwide.
France to ban social media for children under 15
On the other hand, France decided that it is about to ban social media use among children under 15 after France’s lawmakers passed legislation. The bill, supported by President Emmanuel Macron, is intended to protect young people against the dangers of spending too much time in front of the screen and the possible harms associated with social media.
France’s National Assembly passed the legislation in an overnight vote, 130 to 21, clear for it to go to the Senate for further consideration before becoming law. Macron hailed the vote on social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) as a “major step” in safeguarding the mental and emotional state of young people in France.
The proposed law also addresses mobile phone use in high schools which mirrors growing concerns for the effects on development of children due to screen time and addictive algorithms.
Authorities anticipate that they will be able to enforce the rules from the new school year in September. Social media platforms will be asked to disable accounts for underage users.
France would then become the second country after Australia to put age-based restrictions on social media. The European Commission has backed France’s decision to carry out the ban, but emphasised that it should be fair based on overall EU regulations.
Also read: Is Pakistan planning social media ban for under 16?
