Parenting remains one of the most personal, yet most publicly debated, decisions in our lives. Across much of Africa, it’s not viewed as a choice but a social obligation, a milestone of adulthood, and proof of legacy. But as millennial women begin to question inherited expectations, we’re asking: What if motherhood isn’t the only path to meaning, legacy, or love?

In this episode, we unpack the layered politics of parenthood in Uganda and beyond, from the pressure to have children to the joy of choosing a child-free life. We explore how cultural and religious norms tie womanhood to fertility, how workplaces penalize mothers through pay gaps and unrealistic demands, and how men often escape the same scrutiny.

The conversation digs into the emotional and financial weight of care work, the stigma around fertility treatments and adoption, and the privilege of choice in a world where motherhood is often treated as a duty rather than a decision.