The recent statement by the Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, encouraging families to have four children to counter declining fertility rates, has triggered widespread outrage among women.

Women Raise Concerns

In the public responses captured by In News Live, women expressed serious reservations about the practicality and fairness of such a suggestion.

• Health Concerns: Many pointed out that the increasing number of C-sections has already made childbirth risky and exhausting. Forcing or encouraging more pregnancies could put mothers’ health in grave danger.
• Financial Burden: Raising multiple children requires huge expenses — education, healthcare, nutrition, and daily care. For most middle-class and poor families, having four children is financially impossible.
• Lack of Government Support: Women highlighted the absence of strong support systems. They demanded:
  
• Free education for children at all levels.
• Free and accessible healthcare, especially for maternal and child care.
• Stricter regulations to control unnecessary C-sections, which have become alarmingly common in private hospitals.
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A Call for Real Empowerment

The public sentiment is clear: instead of encouraging larger families, the government should focus on quality healthcare and education, empowering women to raise their children in a healthy, secure environment.

Conclusion:

The CMs’ remark has opened a fresh debate in both states. Women are not asking for more children they are asking for better support, healthcare, and education to ensure a brighter future for the children they already have.