What If There Was Only One Woman on Earth?

Imagine waking up one day and all of the

women in the world had just disappeared.

All but one.

Maybe the only woman left on Earth is you.

Whether you're the only woman,

or one of the many guys,

Would this last woman have all the power,

or none?

That is a great question.

The first reaction would be grief.

Everyone would have lost someone.

There would also be chaos.

Women make up 47% of the workforce

in the U.S.,

and if they all skipped one day of work

at the same time,

the U.S. economy would lose

approximately $21 billion dollars.

That’s just one day.

If you’re a man,

you might have to step up your game

in skills that are stereotyped as ‘women’s work.'

While women are working away
from the home more than ever,

with 29% of married women in the U.S.

making more money than their husbands,

women still take on more household duties.

Child-rearing, cooking, and cleaning

are tasks many women are still
expected to perform

because of gender-stereotypes.

while only 65% of men do the same.

But without women around,

all those tasks would fall on your shoulders.

That would be a steep
learning curve for some men.

You’d also have no female companionship.

Just pause and think about that for a moment.

You’d be surrounded by
other men all of the time.

Your friendships and family
structure would change.

Strict gender norms might begin to dissolve

because men would have to take on all roles.

And your love life would definitely take a hit.

It would be lonely.

you could have plenty of male friends

and as many dates as you wanted,

but no female companionship to
balance things out.

You’d also have to repopulate the world.

If you had 20 years of fertility left,

then there would only be 20 new
humans in 20 years.

Giving birth every year would
become your life's work.

Probably not so enjoyable!

It would be much quicker to harvest your eggs

and use artificial wombs to
repopulate the planet.

This process is called ectogenesis.

In April of 2017, researchers at the
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

announced they had developed an
artificial womb they called a biobag.

This biobag was successful in
animal trials using lambs.

Scientists in the Netherlands claim

they are 10 years away from creating an

artificial womb suitable for human babies.

But so far,

these biobags are only feasible

for prematurely born babies.

The initial gestation,

or the very beginning of a baby's
development in a womb,

still has to be within the mother’s womb.

Having only one woman left on earth

would motivate scientists to develop a usable
artificial womb.

While there are many ethical
questions around ectogenesis,

in this extreme situation it might
be our best hope.

And, it would relieve you,

the only woman on Earth,

from the physical exertion and risk
of repeated pregnancies. 

But as the last woman,

would you have more power or less?

You would be the only person on the planet

who could produce new life,

that’s a pretty powerful position.

But you’d be the only one who
could speak up for your gender,

which means your opinion could
easily be out-voted,

maybe leaving you feeling very oppressed,

misunderstood,

and a little more than angry.

Every single birth would be an
international celebration,

especially if the newborn is a female.

And those kids, as they grow up,

would be the ultimate celebrities.

But it could also be dangerous for females

as they begin to come of age.

The effect of this has been a rise in violence,

human trafficking, prostitution,

and depression.

We would have to make sure

any repopulation effort would prioritize

the safety of all females born globally.

The world would likely be a difficult

and lonely place without women.

So take a moment to consider how important

and strong

the women in your life are.

Let’s face it,

we’d have a much easier time if there was

only one man left on earth!

But that’s a story for another What If.