On Thursday, January 29th, we hosted the International Seminar “Motherhood in Crisis: When the Future Is Not Born”, organized in collaboration with the NEOS Foundation, the Family and Dignity Foundation, the European Federation One of Us, the Political Network for Values, and the Assembly of Associations for Life, Liberty, and Dignity. 

The seminar opened with remarks from Ana del Pino, Spain Coordinator of the European Federation One of Us, and Paloma Corbí, Academic Secretary of CEU-CEFAS. They thanked attendees, speakers, and the various participating organizations, emphasizing that we are living in a historic moment; despite having more resources, we are seeing fewer children. They highlighted the need to understand this emerging demographic horizon. The video “Diagnosis: The Demographic Winter” was then screened, presenting the latest data on birth rates, population aging, and depopulation in Europe and the Americas, along with a comparison with Spain. 

Roots: The Crisis of the Meaning of Motherhood 

The first roundtable was introduced by Carmen Fernández de la Cigoña, Director of the CEU Institute for Family Studies, who noted that the seminar addresses not only concerns about generational replacement but also a broader commitment to defending the importance of human bonds: “The family is the support that sustains and drives the human being in all aspects of personal and social development”, she stated.

María Calvo, Professor of Administrative Law at Carlos III University of Madrid, highlighted the significance of both paternal and maternal dimensions in human life and stressed that true freedom arises from commitment. “We have been led to believe that the maternal psychological imprint has been lost and that children are a burden, and that is an invention designed to enslave us”, she emphasized. Penny Nance, CEO of Concerned Women for America, addressed the audience, identifying the root of the problem as a growing disenchantment with life and the human being: “What is happening in Spain, and in my country, is the result of flawed reasoning: we are not having children because we no longer see life as indispensable”, she explained. 

Finally, Benigno Blanco, former president of the Spanish Forum of the Family and former Secretary of State for Water and Coasts and for Infrastructure, discussed how the denaturalization of sexuality has shaped contemporary understandings of human beings and their procreative dimension. “We have moved from a Christian sexual ethic to a capitalist sexual ethic in which the human being is consumed”, he remarked. 

Environment: Politics, Economics, and Society in the Face of Motherhood 

The second roundtable opened with Lucy Akello, Member of Parliament for the FDC in Uganda, who highlighted the challenge societies face in presenting the true reality of motherhood and the family, as well as in promoting support for families facing difficulties. She emphasized the importance of ensuring “that the family is not seen as something negative”, through effective public policies. 

She was followed by Margarita de la Pisa, Member of the European Parliament for VOX, who noted that the current crisis surrounding motherhood and of women offers an opportunity to renew our understanding of both and to rediscover the depth of the family. She also said that no social infrastructure could replace the role and mission of the family stating that “it is impossible for a society to work without relying on the family”. For this reason, she has highlighted that political leaders must actively commit to this reality. 

The panel concluded with Elisabetta Pittino, Member of Federvita Lombardia of the Italian Pro-Life Movement (MpV), and journalist for Avvenire. She underscored the need to transform society’s perception of motherhood, affirming that “motherhood is an opening to the adventure of life, to change, to personal transformation, to facing challenges, and to continued growth”. 

Horizon: Science, Technology, and Motherhood as a Right 

The second part of the seminar featured a roundtable exploring the new horizons that technology opens in bioethics. Obianuju Ekeocha, Founder and President of Culture of Life Africa, argued that the culture of individualism has contributed to the idea of children as a right, thereby changing our perception of them. “Today we live in an era in which assisted reproduction has transformed the understanding of fertility. A child cannot be ordered online. A child should be a gift that arises from the wonderful relationship and complementarity between a man and a woman”, she stated. 

She was followed by Ondina Vélez, family physician and professor of Biology and Genetics at CEU San Pablo University, who explained that assisted reproductive technologies are giving rise to reproductive practices that raise serious ethical concerns. She noted that children are increasingly treated from a utilitarian perspective: “The number of frozen embryos and eggs continues to grow dramatically. These are embryos that remain frozen and forgotten. This is compounded by more than one hundred thousand abortions each year”. 

Luis Chiva, Director of the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics at Clínica Universidad de Navarra in Madrid, also highlighted the profound ethical complexities of assisted reproduction, noting that society often applies a commercial mindset to human procreation. He explained that the demographic crisis “is above all a crisis of hope, and only when life is recognized as a good does it become clear that it deserves to be transmitted.” 

Reconstruction: Toward a Culture of Life and Hope 

The international seminar concluded with the roundtable “Reconstruction: Toward a Culture of Life and Hope”. The panel began with remarks from Katy Faust, Founder and President of Them Before Us, who explained critical bond between a child and his or her mother, especially in the first months of life. She highlighted the impact that the absence of the biological mother can have on a child, not only because of the natural desire to know one’s origins, but also because of the fundamental bond that is naturally formed: “The mother is the first and only reality the child knows”, she stated. Next, Valerie Huber, president of the Institute for Women’s Health, emphasized that changing people’s understanding of family and motherhood requires much more than public policies, it demands a cultural shift that is faithful to human nature. “You cannot expect to encourage people to establish families if they have been educated to reject them. What is needed is a transformation both in culture and in politics”, she concluded. 

She was followed by Kristina Zamarytė-Sakavičienė, Vice Minister of Justice of Lithuania, who stated the relationship between faith and the commitment to family life: “When people have a sense of purpose in life, they know where they are going and have a greater desire to have children”, she noted. Finally, Enikö Gyori, Member of the European Parliament for Fidesz, highlighted the importance of national policies that make it easier for families to have children, particularly for those facing economic challenges. She affirmed, “Pro-family policies are the best investment in a country’s future”.