The Development of Birth Control Campaigns in a Colonial Context (1920–1967)

Abstract

In the twentieth century, birth control became a widespread topic in both imperial and colonised countries. In line with global concerns about a rising population in the Global South, demographers, neo-Malthusian thinkers and eugenicists campaigned in favour of birth control, especially amongst poorer populations. This paper explores the extent to which the practices and laws around contraception in Britain and metropolitan France influenced the development of birth control campaigns in three of their colonies in the Caribbean: Jamaica and the French West Indies (Martinique and Guadeloupe). While each case has been studied individually, no comparative research has been done yet. Combining the historiography of these five territories highlights the transnational nature of birth control campaigns as ideologies and practices spread across borders. This article argues that early birth control advocacy began in imperial countries and based itself on eugenicist and neo-Malthusian views on demography. However, in each of the studied countries, the campaigns developed at their own pace, both for legal and political reasons, but also in response to the different reactions and initiatives by local actors.