THE ETHICS OF SURROGACY: CHILDREN ARE NOT A TRANSACTION

Civilizations throughout human history understood something we’ve forgotten: Motherhood is not a burden or side quest. It’s the beating heart of human flourishing. Ancient cultures glorified the feminine in art, myth, and ritual because they grasped its universal significance.

Then came the turn. Over the past half-century, in the name of “progress,” we began encouraging women to be more like men and conform to a masculine template of success.

The cultural narrative turned men into the enemy. Girls and women needed every bit of compassion, support, and resources to “succeed” professionally. Motherhood was reframed as a speed bump rather than the most glorious contribution to humanity. Boys were already privileged. Fathers were optional. The nuclear family? Outdated at best, oppressive at worst.

The consequences for boys have been brutal. Boys were put on the back burner and stripped of purpose. Their very nature was made to seem “toxic” and suspect. As a result, boys have suffered from higher suicide rates and lower college enrollment, while struggling to find meaningful work and social bonds.

Schools, media, Hollywood, and corporate culture institutionalized the message: Boys are bad, and it’s women’s turn to shine. Men were told to sit down and be quiet because the women were speaking. Boys were instructed to be more like the girls. Meanwhile, we told girls they must be more like boys: aggressive and ruthless; career first, family later.

The damage of this narrative doesn’t stop with men and boys. The devaluation of womanhood and motherhood has hurt girls and women just as profoundly. We have cultivated a victimhood mentality that keeps women perpetually angry and exhausted. We urged them to delay marriage and children until their most fertile years had passed, promising fulfillment in the corner office. Some are childless and alone, others now find themselves “doing it all” and wondering why it feels like nothing.

Depression and anxiety rates among women have skyrocketed. The glorious powers of their womanhood — the unique capacity to create life, nurture, and build the emotional architecture of a family — are scorned by the same culture claiming to celebrate women. Motherhood is no longer a crown, it’s a confession of weakness.

America’s priorities are grotesquely out of whack. Love, family, and human connection, the things that make life worth living, have been demoted to hobbies. Instead, we pretend that promoting ourselves, gaining social status, and buying cheap stuff are the most noble pursuits. We chase likes and construct curated lives while the quiet, sacred work of raising the next generation is dismissed as drudgery.

Experts are now highlighting the crisis among young men: Spikes in male suicide, plummeting marriage rates, aimless detachment from the world, and engagement with extremist corners of the internet.

A recent survey from the Institute for Family Studies found that young men are demoralized like never before. Nearly half, 46%, of young men aged 18-23 said they were inclined to view themselves as a failure. Of those aged 24-29, 38% said the same.

One of the most effective solutions to male malaise stares us directly in the face: honoring womanhood and motherhood. When mothers are celebrated, sons see that their strength exists to protect and provide for something sacred. They internalize that the feminine is the reason their masculine gifts matter. Fathers regain their purpose rather than becoming punchlines. Daughters grow up understanding that their womanhood is powerful in its distinctiveness, not in how closely it mimics masculinity. We strive to help all children succeed and have equal opportunity, regardless of gender.

This is not about turning back the clock — rather, it’s a course correction. Maintaining the legal equality, economic gains, and access to education women have won over the past few decades does not have to come at the expense of valuing womanhood.

We can support women who choose careers without shaming those who choose home and family. We can teach boys that their energy is a gift, not a defect. We can make motherhood the honored centerpiece of culture rather than its embarrassing footnote.

WOMEN DON’T WANT TO JUST BE ‘GIRLBOSSES’ OR ‘TRADWIVES’

Americans have sabotaged themselves long enough by chasing materialistic, individualistic dreams that devalue both sexes. The path forward is simple: Restore dignity to mothers, celebrate the feminine, and rebuild the family. Doing so will give our sons the moral compass they need, and it will allow our daughters to celebrate their distinct womanhood.

We must honor our mothers if we truly want to support our sons. Anything less is not progress. It’s self-destruction.

Lisa Britton is a writer for Evie Magazine and an advocate for boys, men, and fathers.