The Best Contraceptives

The Best Contraceptives?

It has been said that in nations seeking to reduce their population growth rate, a combination of sustainable economic development along with improved educational and socio-economic opportunities for women are the best "contraceptives" (i.e. ways to reduce a woman's total fertility rate;don't know this term? Look it up before posting).

A. How does improving educational opportunities for women help reduce population growth (in those nations seeking to do so)?  Cite specific scientific, demographic, socioeconomic and/or geopolitical evidence from one (1) nation that is working to reduce its population growth rate andwhere improving education for women has worked / is working. 

Be sure to back up your explanations with some research before discussing this topic online with your classmates. Be sure to read relevant sections of your text (and supplementary readings from this Module) and look online.  Start with these background readings:

• United Nations' Girls' Education Initiative


• The Beijing Platform for Action Turns 20


• The World Bank's Girls' Education Overview

Organize your posting by using the letter/number combinations as follows to earn up to 12 points. Be specific and thorough. Cite statistics in A2, A3.

A1. Identify a nation that has been / is working to reduce its population growth. For how long? (2 points)

A2. What has this nation done to improve the educational opportunities for its women? (5 points)

A3. How have increased educational opportunities for these women changed their socio-economic status? (5 points)

B. After you have posted, you must respond to at least one of your classmates right there on the discussion thread. (4 points)

In your response posting, you must include 

1. a reply to your classmate; note, a response includes a significant statement/commentary/additional example on the classmates' post that adds something significant to the conversation...not just "good job" or "I like your post." (this is worth 2 points) and


2. your own "beautiful question" - that is, a well thought out question that shows knowledge and understanding beyond an obvious question. Beautiful questions are clear, specific, relevant, and invite an open-ended response (i.e. not a yes/no question). They may be in response to another classmate's question (you can't reply to yourself ) or to something that they have written in their original post. Your beautiful question is worth 2 points.

Refer to your Weekly Schedule of Assignments or Online Course Calendar for due date.