The lived experiences of volitionally childfree women in Malta

Abstract

The phenomenon under scrutiny of this study is the lived experience of volitionally childfree women in Malta. From a sociological lens, this study investigated different aspects that enhance or hinder the true extent of the freedom of choice for those women who decide not to pursue motherhood. It has also explored the role of society and the prejudices and expectations that it projects onto women in relation to motherhood. The aim of this research study was to assist in constructing the image of childfree women in Malta, by creating a research-based discourse for the extrication of motherhood from the concept of womanhood. This was addressed through a number of objectives by creating more awareness regarding the diverse experiences of women who do not pursue motherhood, specifically experiences that do not centre around infertility but rather on the freedom of choice and circumstantial childlessness. It also embarked on an exploration of discursive identity construction in childfree women whilst reconsidering child freedom through the cross-cultural variation of authentic narratives from women of different ages and culture. In order to obtain an insight into the lives of childfree women a qualitative method of research was necessitated. For this reason fifteen in-depth interviews were carried out with childfree women aged over thirty-five years and who are currently living in Malta. The raw data generated a number of findings namely that childfree women are not likely to regret their respective decisions and that the realisation of not wanting to pursue motherhood is present very early on in life. Conclusions also highlighted that factors such as self-sacrifice and high dependency are amongst the major contributing factors for not wanting to pursue motherhood. Ultimately, the research concluded that both childfree women and those who are mothers have more commonalities than differences and thus the fight towards less societal judgment on motherhood is relevant for all women, mothers and not.