Most demographers and policymakers think that the best way to control population is to
A) hold annual conferences hosted by the UN.
B) educate women and give them equal status with men.
C) increase the power of religious institutions that preach abstinence and celibacy.
D) pass laws that limit families to one child.
E) let HIV/AIDs, tropical diseases, plagues and epidemics run freely.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Educating women and giving them equal status with men has been shown to be the most effective way to control population growth. When women have access to education and equal opportunities, they tend to have fewer children and to have them later in life, which reduces the overall population growth rate. This approach also has many other positive effects, such as improving the health and well-being of families, reducing poverty, and promoting gender equality. The other options listed are either ineffective or unethical. Holding conferences, for example, does little to address the root causes of population growth, while limiting families to one child is difficult to enforce and can lead to a host of unintended consequences. Encouraging celibacy and abstinence also tends to be ineffective, while allowing diseases to run rampant is both cruel and completely unnecessary.

Most Demographers and Policymakers Think That the Best Way to Control