How Medhin Hagos’ Late Motherhood Exposes Society’s Double Standards
Editor’s note : Views in the article do not necessarily reflect the views of borkena.com
By: AT
Background: The Birth That Divided a Nation
In a story that has captivated social media attention, a 76-year-old Ethiopian woman named Medhin Hagos from Mekelle, Tigray, recently gave birth to a healthy baby boy. The incident sparked celebrations, controversy, and a firestorm of debate. While the medical improbability of the event raises questions, what is truly fascinating is how her pregnancy has become a lightning rod for societal attitudes about aging, sexuality, and late motherhood. This story is not merely about one woman’s journey—it is a mirror reflecting how deeply personal encounters are scrutinized, policed, and politicized in the public view.
The woman claims she conceived naturally with her childhood companion after decades of infertility following a failed pregnancy in the 1980s. In Ethiopia, where childlessness carries profound religious and social stigma, her pregnancy was hailed by many, including local priests, as a “divine blessing.” Yet the celebration was tempered by visceral backlash. Critics fixated not on her joy but on how her pregnancy was about: How could a woman her age engage in sex? Is this ethical? Accusations of promiscuity and irresponsibility flooded social media, reducing her story to a moral panic rather than a triumph amid collective experience endured by many other childless women.
Although this dichotomy is not unique to Ethiopia as many similar stories of women who give birth in their 70s—whether through IVF or claimed natural conception— reported elsewhere becoming the subject of judgment. Daljinder Kaur (India, 72): Celebrated as a “miracle mother” after IVF, yet criticized for ignoring medical risks. Adriana Iliescu (Romania, 66): Dubbed “the granny mother” by Western media, her choice framed as either a feminist act or a medical aberration. Erramatti Mangayamma (India, 74): Her IVF twins sparked debates about “selfishness” versus the “right to motherhood.” These cases reveal a universal truth: Society struggles to reconcile aging women’s autonomy with deeply ingrained norms about femininity, sexuality, and “appropriate” motherhood.
Media Narratives: Miracles, Morality, and Double Standards
Media framing of such stories often hinges on socio-cultural context. In pronatalist societies like Ethiopia, headlines including our own report on Feb 6,2025, lean on words like “miracle” and “divine,” emphasizing perseverance over patriarchal norms. One TikToker reacted to the incident, stating, “Look at the miracle God has done… This woman gave birth even after science declared she was past childbearing age. God is mighty; it is greater than science.” Similar sentiments echoed in local languages, with Tigrigna and Amharic social media users praising divine intervention:
“ኢንኳዕ ደስበለኪ… ልዑል ፈጣሪ የዕብየልክን” (“Congratulations… May the Almighty bless your child”).
“እዚ ናእ/ር ስጦታ እዩ” (“This child is a gift”).
Yet alongside celebration came condemnation. Critics used moralistic and vulgar language, labelling her actions “promiscuous” and questioning her ethics:
“ቅንዝራም በላት” (“She’s horny”).
“አኔን የገረመኝ በ75 አመቶ ግኑኝነት ማድረጎ ነው” (“What shocks me is her having sex at 76”).
The Sociological Imagination: Linking Personal Encounters to Public Issues
Sociologist C. Wright Mills’ concept of the sociological imagination—the ability to connect personal experiences to broader societal forces—is key to understanding this debate. Mills argued that individual choices are never made in a vacuum; they are shaped by history, culture, and power structures. Applying this lens to the Ethiopian woman’s story reveals three critical dimensions:
1. The Stigma of Aging Female Sexuality
Postmenopausal women are often desexualized, their bodies deemed irrelevant or grotesque. The shock over this birth exposes an unspoken societal rule: Older women should fade into the background, not defy biological or cultural expectations. When they do, their sexuality becomes a public controversy, policed through accusations of “adultery” or immorality.
2. Motherhood as Social Currency
In many cultures, motherhood is her master status—a defining role or woman’s primary source of social legitimacy. For the Ethiopian woman, decades of childlessness likely subjected her to marginalization and shame. Her pregnancy, whether “miraculous” or medically assisted, symbolizes not just personal fulfillment but societal redemption. Yet this reverence for motherhood is a double-edged sword: Women are celebrated only when their choices align with patriarchal ideals of “appropriate” femininity.
3. The Myth of “Promiscuity” vs. Medicalization
Critics who label the woman “promiscuous” reveal society’s obsession with policing female sexuality. Conversely, IVF pregnancies spark debates about “playing God,” reducing women to either “sinful” for having sex or “selfish” for using science. Both narratives strip women of nuance, denying their agency in navigating complex personal and societal pressures.
Conclusion: Rewriting the Narrative
The Ethiopian woman’s journey is a mirror reflecting societal discomfort with aging women’s agency, the policing of female bodies, and the unequal standards applied to mothers versus fathers. It compels us to ask:
- Why is a woman’s worth still tied to motherhood?
- Why is older women’s sexuality taboo, while older men’s virility is celebrated?
- Who benefits from these norms?
- Is her joy not a fulfillment of the sociocultural norms tied to childbearing—and her triumph an experience shared by many childless mothers?
- Could this also reflect the pain of households destabilized or fractured by infertility, unable to reap the benefits of divine intervention or blessings?
As Mills wrote, “The first lesson of social science is that things are not what they seem.” This story challenges us to replace judgment with curiosity, reimagining societal narratives to embrace empathy and equity. The true miracle lies not in defying biology, but in challenging the systems that make such defiance necessary.
Editor’s Note : Views in the article do not necessarily reflect the views of borkena.com
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Someone is certainly trying to get mileage out of the incident. What are the chances for a 75-year-old woman to conceive a child? Almost nil. Well, here we are told it has happened in Tigray. That should have been the end of the story. Except some want to pontificate on the politics and (im)morality of the event. What is interesting is that we are hardly told anything about the man/husband other than the fact that he is a “childhood companion.” If the writer of this piece is out to persuade the public at the same time defending the rights of women, etc., then I would suggest that they attach evidence from an independent medical authority about a/ the childhood companion’s virility and b/ a record of the 75-year-old’s gestation period. Today DNA tests have made matters a bit simpler than in the past. It is that simple. And then we could get back to our dreary war-mongering life.