14th – 20th September 2020 is World Childless Week which aims to raise awareness of the childless not by choice (cnbc) community.   This is a community covering those who are wanted to be parents but couldnt, who are childless by circumstance and those who are childless and happy.

Stephanie Phillips, a British woman, founded World Childless Week in 2017. 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 will take place from 14th – 20th September. Each day explores a different element of being childless: our stories, diversity, ageing without children, men matter too, coping through lockdown, finding our worth in society and how to move forwards.

Stephanie was inspired to start World Childless Week after recognizing the need for a global campaign to support those who are childless not by choice. 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 unrecognised 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”.

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.

Jody Day, the Founder of Gateway Women, and an instigator of positive changes within the childless community, was one of the first World Childless Week Champions.

Jody says, “One of the many hidden difficulties of involuntary childlessness can be social isolation. World Childless Week, by bringing together so many different people and organisations amplifies our voices and efforts; in doing so, it makes it more likely that someone struggling in silent grief finally discovers that they’re not alone. The lifesaving and life­‐changing power of connection cannot be underestimated.”

If you would like to learn more please take a look at www.worldchildlessweek.net

We are here for you throughout the year, we get louder in September