Stephanie was inspired to start World Childless Week after recognizing the need for a global campaign that supports those who are childless not by choice. She admins several Facebook groups including Childless Path To Acceptance for those past the point of trying to conceive. Stephanie is also writing a self-help book about being childless not by choice after researching the thoughts and emotions of over 200 women.
Stephanie Phillips is passionate about raising awareness for the childless not by choice. After realizing that there was no national recognition of the community she decided to start World Childless Week, which started in 2017. World Childless Week gives a voice to the childless community. It’s an online event to raise awareness and support the childless not by choice community. In its initial week in September 2017 #worldchildlessweek was tweeted 1.2 million times (Twitter analytics). In 2018 World Childless Week reached 85 countries (website Geography analytics). This year World Childless Week took place with each day exploring a different element of being childless: our stories, letters about forgiveness, using art to release emotions, men matter too, how we have empathy, finding our worth in society and how to move forwards.
- Stephanie is supported by the World Childless Week Champions who are all childless not by choice and share the same determination to grow the awareness week. The Champions are based from across the world and represent diverse ethnicities, disabilities, genders and sexual orientation.
- Of the women who reached the age of 45 years in 2017, 18% were childless at the end of their childbearing years compared to 10% a generation before (Office for National Statistics). Whilst 10% are childless by choice, 10% are childless due to infertility and 80% childless due to circumstances (Keizer, R, 2010).
- Stephanie says, “Childless men and women from around the world are starting to find their inner voice to speak out, and reach out, to those who hide their childlessness for fear of shame and judgement.
- Childlessness is an unrecognized but large and growing minority that the world can no longer shy away from. When women in their seventies tell me they are grateful to find a supportive community for the first time in their life it reinforces the need to create more awareness that help is available from those who understand”.
- Something that I found interesting was that some have mentioned social isolation among those that do not have children. If I were to think about it, people wouldn’t think that being childless would cause something like social isolation. In fact I’m sure most people would think that people with children would experience that more due to being restricted going out with children. The Social Isolation do you think that is an internal or external pressure?
- She admins several Facebook groups including Childless Path To Acceptance for those past the point of trying to conceive.
- Stephanie is also writing a self-help book about being childless not by choice after researching the thoughts and emotions of over 200 women.
If you would like to learn more please take a look at www.worldchildlessweek.net
“The more we have these conversations, the more these conversations can be had.” ~ Alison Jaye