BETWEEN PAMPERS AND PASSPORT: NEGOTIATING CHILDFREE DECISIONS AND FREEDOM GLOW AMONG MALAYSIAN WOMEN

Norafifah Bali; Wanda Kiyah George Albert; Norzihan Ayub; Agnis Sombuling; Husmiati Yusof; Ahmad Rasyidee Abdul Razak; Suszma Khairitszi Mamat; Adi Fahrudin; Nur Suhaidah Sukor; Azahar Che Latif; Risalshah Latif

doi:10.51200/sapj.v14i1.7908

Authors

Norafifah Bali
Wanda Kiyah George Albert
Norzihan Ayub
Agnis Sombuling
Husmiati Yusof
Ahmad Rasyidee Abdul Razak
Suszma Khairitszi Mamat
Adi Fahrudin
Nur Suhaidah Sukor
Azahar Che Latif
Risalshah Latif

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51200/sapj.v14i1.7908

Keywords:

Childfree, Freedom Glow, reproductive autonomy, Parenting FOMO, collectivist society

Abstract

The increasing prevalence of voluntary childlessness has challenged conventional assumptions that motherhood represents a universal aspiration among women. Although the childfree movement has gained growing scholarly attention internationally, limited research has explored how women in collectivist societies negotiate the decision to remain childfree. This study explores the lived experiences of Malaysian women who voluntarily choose not to have children, with particular attention to the emergence of Freedom Glow as a positive psychological experience resulting from autonomous reproductive decision-making. Guided by an interpretivist paradigm and integrating Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000) and Ryff's (1989) model of psychological well-being, this qualitative study employed semi-structured, in-depth interviews with eight Malaysian women who self-identified as childfree by choice. Data were analysed using Braun and Clarke's (2021) Reflexive Thematic Analysis. Four interrelated themes emerged: (1) Choosing Myself: Reclaiming Autonomy Beyond Motherhood; (2) Living Under Constant Questions: Negotiating Pronatalist Expectations; (3) Between Doubt and Freedom: Navigating Parenting FOMO and Freedom Glow; and (4) A Passport to Possibilities: Redefining Success Beyond Childbearing. The findings reveal that participants viewed childfree decisions as thoughtful, intentional life choices rather than rejections of family values. Although participants experienced persistent social expectations, family pressure, and gendered stereotypes surrounding motherhood, they simultaneously described profound feelings of autonomy, emotional peace, flexibility, and personal fulfilment. These positive experiences are conceptualised as Freedom Glow, a psychosocial state characterised by self-determination, authenticity, and the freedom to pursue personally meaningful life trajectories. This study contributes to the growing literature on reproductive autonomy by extending understanding of childfree experiences beyond Western contexts and introducing Freedom Glow as an emerging conceptual framework for understanding women's psychological well-being within pronatalist societies. The findings provide important implications for family policy, gender equality, and social work practice in contemporary Malaysia.

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