SSB GD Topic Notes

Fresh SSB batches starts 1st & 15th of every month.

These days we can see that single motherhood is on the rise in many of our cities. In your opinion, what is the main reason for this increasing trend? Leads:

1. Financial Independence
2. Western Culture
3. Social Acceptance

• With more women joining the workforce and achieving financial self-reliance, they are no longer dependent on a partner to raise a child.
• Urban employment opportunities, remote work, and entrepreneurship have made it possible for women to provide for their children independently.
• Women today have better access to property ownership, legal rights, and financial literacy, making single parenting a feasible option.
• According to NSSO data and World Bank reports, India's female workforce participation in urban areas has improved, especially in white-collar jobs.

Financial freedom empowers women to make independent life choices, including raising a child without a partner.

• Exposure to global ideologies through social media, OTT platforms, and education has introduced the concept of individual choice and non-traditional families.
• Many urban women are inspired by the independent lifestyle of single mothers seen in Western societies.
• Increasing acceptance of adoption, IVF, and surrogacy also mirrors trends commonly seen in the West.

Western influence shapes perceptions and reduces the stigma previously associated with being a single mother.

• Indian society, especially in metros, is gradually evolving — judgment around single motherhood is reducing, particularly among the educated class.
• Media and cinema portray single mothers positively, helping in normalizing the concept.
• Legal reforms and support groups are aiding women who choose or end up in single parenthood, such as divorcee support communities and NGOs.
• The 2022 NFHS data shows a rising number of urban single-parent households, indicating a cultural shift in urban India.

Societal acceptance is providing emotional and psychological support to women to embrace motherhood alone.

While all three leads contribute to the rise in single motherhood, Financial Independence appears to be the strongest enabler.

• Once a woman becomes economically independent, she gains the confidence and capability to make life choices on her own — even those once deemed unconventional.