Journal of Women Interdisciplinary Researches

Abstract The declining tendency toward childbearing in recent decades has raised concerns among scholars in various fields across Iran. This study aimed to explore the perceptions and attitudes of employed women in South Tehran toward childbearing. Conducted using a qualitative method and a phenomenological approach, the research gathered data through in-depth interviews.The findings indicate that employed women’s attitudes toward childbearing have undergone significant changes due to recent social, cultural, and economic transformations. Participants no longer view childbearing as a traditional necessity, but rather as a decision dependent on personal, economic, professional, and lifestyle factors. Many cited concerns such as the inability to afford child-rearing expenses, difficulties in balancing motherhood with professional roles, and anxiety about their children’s future as key reasons for their reduced willingness to have children.Overall, the results suggest that the new understanding of motherhood and fertility among employed women has led them toward more conscious decision-making and, in some cases, avoidance of childbearing altogether. This shift in perspective may be considered one of the contributing factors to declining fertility rates in urban areas, particularly among working women.

Abstract One of the most fundamentalneeds of any society for its survival is the reproduction of the generations. The issue of women, as a vital part of human society, deserves the same level of scrutiny and deep analysis as the human condition itself. Any analysis of women's life dimensions, excluding gender characteristics, equates to an analysis of human life. Therefore, understanding a woman's status and dignity is essentially understanding human dignity. It is also indisputable that knowledge of oneself is a benchmark for other knowledge. Considering that half of the population consists of women, and they play crucial roles in various societal domains, including the family and child-rearing, which form the foundation of society, addressing women's issues as social and human capital is of utmost importance. If women shy away from marriage and childbearing, the population will decline, and the human race will face the risk of extinction. This study examines women, family, childbearing, and strengthening the position of motherhood from the perspective of the Holy Qur'an using the library research method and an analytical-descriptive approach. The findings indicate that attention to women's intrinsic qualities, gender justice, and social security in society can significantly impact childbearing and family dynamics. Conversely, the major obstacle is the adherence to feminist thinking, which can undermine the roles of motherhood and childbearing.