From Birte Nielsen
Your look at the paradox of why women in wealthier nations tend to have fewer children included social psychologist Kristina Durante’s finding that women living in US states with a low proportion of men tend to have highly paid jobs (26 October, p 46). This is perhaps not surprising.
However, her suggestion that this is due to the unavailability of eligible partners, making women choose a briefcase over babies, is open to question.
A simpler, more direct explanation could be that women in those states face less competition from men for the lucrative jobs. Women holding prominent posts may then, in turn, be less likely to start a family.
Paris, France
