Urban Indian Women Choose Money Over Motherhood

Bangalore: With International Mother's day just over, apex industry body ASSOCHAM has released a survey which puts the priorities of young urban women under focus. According to the report most young women in urban India are postponing plans of starting a family.

The Associated Chambers of Commerce and India (ASSOCHAM) under the aegis of ASSOCHAM Social Development Foundation (ASDF) carried out a random survey of about 1,200 married, young full-time working women without children and about 800 stay-at-home mothers in the age group of 24-30 years at urban centers of Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and Pune during March-April.

Over half (650) of married, young working women in the aforesaid urban centers said they have shelved plans to start a family as career advancement and higher-education is their priority and cannot sacrifice the same to raise kids, highlights the ASSOCHAM survey.

About 10 percent said they work to lead a better lifestyle and need to accumulate enough wealth before they start a family and cope up with rising costs of childcare. About 200 respondents from the working women category said they have put off their plans to have a baby as it would disfigure their physical appearance. About 70 of these said they are too young to be a mother.

100 out of 150 working women in Mumbai and 80 in Bangalore said they are averse to having a baby for the time being as their respective career is primary for them.