By 2020, Japan's prime minister Shinzō Abe wants women to fill 30% of the nation's senior management roles. Yet despite efforts to get women into work, a growing number are targeting domestic bliss. Are dreams of a family funded by a high-earning husband anything more than a fairytale?

A blog penned by an angry Japanese mother in which she complains about having to quit her job due to the shortage in places at daycare centres recently went viral. And it’s led to an outcry for more childcare services from the government. But why is daycare such a big deal to parents in Japan?

Want to be part of an evolved and envied elite that’s highly educated, successful, prosperous and enjoying great sex? Simple – don’t have kids. Birth rates amongst 20-something Americans are at their lowest ever and the ‘childfree by choice’ demographic is wealthier, healthier and happier. But why?

Egg freezing was once a procedure undertaken for medical reasons. Now, however, it's fast becoming a choice for many women in the US who want to ‘have it all’ and delay motherhood. But why are these women so keen to spend up to $10,000 to try to freeze time?