Pro-natalist population policies in Czechoslovakia

Summary Given the high rate of women's employment and the lack of labour reserves, other than the natural replacement of the population, pro-natalist population policy in Czechoslovakia should be seen as a response to an anticipated shortage of labour. The rapid post-war decline in the birth rate has been caused by the greatly increased opportunity structure for women in education and employment, and by other policies favouring lower natality - rapid urbanization, inadequate provision of housing, insufficient investment in consumers' goods and services, low wages and relatively free availability of abortion. To reverse this undesirable population trend, the Czechoslovak government has adopted a more restrictive attitude towards abortion, lengthened paid maternity leave, increased family allowances and single grants given at childbirth and introduced the so-called maternity allowance, which is a direct monthly payment given by the state to mothers who wish to stay at home to raise a second or subsequent child, until the child is two years old. The time so spent counts towards the mother's retirement pension and other kinds of seniority, and her job is held open for her. These measures have contributed to the recent increase in the Czechoslovak birth rate, but more time is needed for the assessment of the long-term effectiveness of these measures.