Women Are the Answer

Population growth has been left out of the climate debate because it is seen as controversial, yet it is one of the most important factors. As the global population has passed the 7 billion mark, and India is taking over from China as the most populous nation in the world, one state in southern India has found the solution: Kerala educates its women. The unique history of Kerala and 'the Kerala Model' is outlined, using it as an example of achieving population control in developing countries without coercion. The educated daughter voluntarily limits her family size and one or two-child families have become the norm in Kerala. The empowerment of women through education, occurring within a society that values women more than any other state of India, has changed the social indicators such that Kerala is now more comparable to the first world rather than to the rest of India or other developing countries. (F-Reel)