Also..one would imagine that a gay person is also less empowered than a heterosexual person. But you can't empower them by 'granting them education' or 'opening job markets'. A child is less empowered than an adult.

A handicapped person is less empowered than a relatively healthier and whole individual.

A child's empowerment comes from growing up. Etc.

So when you say that women's empowerment comes from education and job prospects, I have to conclude that you meant economic empowerment of women that would bring down population.

Which is a little confusing to me... How is giving women more access to wealth and taking them to economic parity with men going to make them want to procreate less?

In fact, it has only empowered more women to become single parents. Which has increased global population. Social nets have only encouraged people to want to increase the number of offsprings.

So there is a fundamental logical disconnect here. Staring down the abyss that is a resource constrained future world, we are only making things worse.

I am only even more convinced now that those who refrain from proceating should be incentivized and those who do have children should be facing the economic consequences of their choices.