Call for Papers Asian Women

Special Issue – Gender and Fertility

Asian Women would like to cordially invite papers dealing with the academic issues related to Gender and Fertility of the Special Issue of 2027.

About the Journal

Asian Women is an interdisciplinary and cross-cultural journal published in English by the Research Institute of Asian Women at Sookmyung Women’s University, Korea. It is published quarterly in March, June, September, and December. The journal is indexed and abstracted in the Social Science Citation Index (SSCI), SCOPUS, and the Korea Citation Index (KCI).

Special Issue Theme

For the Spring 2027 issue of Asian Women, we invite scholars to share their innovative work on gender and fertility. While varying slightly from country to country, many Asian nations have experienced a decline in fertility rates in recent years.

Is this recent trend a natural ebb and flow of human history, or is there something more substantial to recognize and anticipate for future generations? From intimate couple relationships to family relations, and to broader social, cultural, historical, economic, national, and international contexts, fertility issues raise diverse interests and concerns. Fertility issues can be studied from various disciplines, including family studies, gender studies, developmental sciences, sociology, anthropology, demography, economics, biology, medicine, and public health and policy. Regardless of discipline, childbearing uniquely intersects with cultural norms and practices, particularly in relation to gender: gender roles, gendered expectations, gender equality, and gendered relationships between women and men. Fertility intentions and behaviors have implications for individuals’ life courses, family trajectories, and broader social and cultural landscapes beyond the family.

This special issue invites research papers that critically examine gender and fertility in Asian countries and neighboring regions from diverse disciplinary perspectives. Focused discourse will deepen understanding of fertility and contribute to the development of sustainable support systems for those who bear and raise children.

Topic examples

Delayed marriages and declined fertility trend

Public policies supporting childbearing

Fertility intentions and behaviors

Gendered perspectives on childbearing and childrearing

Cross-cultural studies on gender and fertility 

Systematic review on gender and fertility

Timeline

* Abstracts for the special issue should be submitted by August 31, 2026, and should include the following: title, author name(s), institutional affiliation(s), email address(es), an abstract of 500–600 words, and 4–5 keywords. Please submit your abstract to omnes@sookmyung.ac.kr.

* Authors will be notified of acceptance or rejection by September 25, 2026.

* Full papers of selected abstracts should be submitted between October and December 2026. All papers must adhere to Asian Women’s Manuscript Submission Guidelines. For further information, please refer to the journal homepage: http://e-asianwomen.org.

* The peer review process will take place from January to February 2027, in accordance with Asian Women’s blind peer review guidelines.

* The special issue will be published on March 31, 2027.