How Mothers and Childfree Women Redefine Fulfillment: A Comparative Study of Life and Marital Satisfaction in a Pronatalist Society

Abstract

Highlights: Public health relevance—How does this work relate to a public health issue? Voluntary childlessness and motherhood were both associated with women’s mentalwell-being and social experiences in a pronatalist context. Qualitative findings indicated that pronatalist norms were linked to experiences ofstigma, stress, and psychosocial strain among women, regardless of parental status. Public health significance—Why is this work of significance to public health? This study found no significant differences in marital or life satisfaction betweenmothers and voluntarily childless women. Well-being outcomes appeared to be shaped less by parental status itself and more bythe sociocultural context surrounding motherhood and childlessness. Public health implications—What are the key implications or messages for practitioners,policy makers and/or researchers in public health? The findings highlight the relevance of considering diverse reproductive trajectorieswhen addressing women’s well-being in pronatalist societies. The results point to the importance of addressing gendered expectations and socialnorms as contextual factors influencing women’s psychological and social health. In pronatalist societies where motherhood remains symbolically central to feminine identity, women’s well-being is shaped by gendered expectations surrounding reproduction. Within such contexts, understanding how different reproductive trajectories relate to marital and life satisfaction becomes particularly important. This study compared the marital and life satisfaction of mothers and voluntarily childless women in Türkiye, a pronatalist society. A sequential explanatory mixed-method design was employed. Quantitative data were collected from 178 employed married women (31 voluntarily childless, 147 mothers) using standardized life and marital satisfaction scales. This was followed by in-depth interviews with 22 participants (11 from each group). The quantitative findings indicated no statistically significant differences in marital or life satisfaction between the two groups. However, qualitative analysis revealed that comparable experiences of satisfaction were constructed through distinct normative pathways. Mothers derived fulfillment from culturally validated maternal identities despite increased responsibilities, whereas childfree women constructed satisfaction around autonomy, relational equality, and deliberate ethical choice within a pronatalist context. While voluntary childlessness broadens the repertoire of feminine identities, motherhood remains a powerful symbolic reference point for both groups. Rather than signaling the erosion of pronatalist norms, the findings suggest their ongoing renegotiation within contemporary Turkish society. These dynamics underscore the importance of addressing role-based stigma and supporting diverse reproductive choices in efforts to promote women’s psychological well-being and social equity.