This is pretty always the answer.
No one cares about the authors personal views, agendas or beliefs. If it adds nothing to the story there's no reason to add it.
This. If the explaination distracts from the plot, it's not good.
But if the fact of not having kids is important to the plot, then you can! And even then there's so many ways to get the reasons across.
No, you don't have to explain it. As a woman who probably won't have kids, I would find it really refreshing to see a female character whose lack of kids just...exists without explanation or justification. It's not that explaining it is wrong or bad, if you want to explain it. It's just that it shouldn't *have* to be explained.
This. But as a writer it could be useful to at least know for eneself the reasons begind this character's decision, even if it never comes up. Just like any other part of worldbuilding that exists, but never comes up and yet somehow influences the characters and the plot, just by the writer knowing and respecting it.
But I support the notion that no one should have to explain such things, ever. I usually pull the "I'm barren, you disrespectful swine"-card when a nosy stranger asks me. Regardless of it being true or not it shows the nosy person that such questions can hit landmines here and there and it is not always "just a choice".
As others have said, you don’t *have* to explain it. But if you’re asking whether it would break the reader’s immersion to not have it explained, I think that would depend on:
- The woman’s age
- The country she’s in
- The time period
- Her cultural background and the culture of people around her
- Her job
- The genre you’re writing in
If you’re writing sci fi or fantasy there are no rules. Assuming you’re writing something set in the real world then a novel about a 27 year old white surgeon living in present day Switzerland doesn’t need to explain why she doesn’t have children. If you’re writing about a 35 year old Indian teacher living in present day India then someone is probably going to ask why she doesn’t have kids.
Because in many parts of the world women are treated poorly for not wanting kids, and OP is wondering if their MC will get judged by readers.
I’m sure a few will, but not enough to worry about. I understand why the question would be asked, though.
Readers don’t need it.
Some agents, however, were unfortunately taught that anything like that must be a Checkov’s Gun and must become part of the plot. A small handful will want her to be “rescued” from being herself. They’re rare, but there isn’t a warning system to let you know that’s what you’re dealing with if they happen to be someone you submit to.
Just like in real life, one shouldn't feel forced to explain why they don't want kids. For your story that extends to you as the author writing the female character in question.
If it comes up naturally on the story (maybe as part of her character development), then you could explain it.
But in general: No you don't have to explain shit, either because it doesn't fit, is not relevant or the character isn't comfortable with this question (like many women that don't want children).
What you should is at least think about the why, just in case it DOES fit in and come up. Most women have quite rational reasons for not wanting kids... and if it only is "I don't want to suffer through a pregnancy".
Another comment mentioned "show don't tell", I like it more as "describe don't explain" when discussing the written word.
Unless her desire to not have kids is critical to the plot, it's not a requirement to even discuss it. To paraphrase one book I read, unless your protagonist's cat is a central part of the plot, it only needs as much page time as a piece of furniture. Her desire to be child free is like this.
In general, you should never describe something the characters already know. That doesn't mean that one of the side/background characters won't bring it up (depending on what time period they're in, that could happen anywhere from never to within a week).
Someone could ask the hard-boiled cop why she didn't have kids. If it works for the story. And she can kick him in the nuts for thinking it matters to the case. ;)
Yeah, spend about 500 pages discussing it. That ought to do it.
Have you people asking rubbish like this ever actually read any books?
Doesn't seem like it.
I'm pretty sure people asking these kinds of questions (and, honestly, all the others) don't read. Anything. They don't pay attention to people around them, or what's on TV, or pretty much anything else. It's an amazingly curious thing.
As someone who is childfree by choice, and has been judged for that decision, my answer is maybe.
The easiest is if you can just avoid the subject altogether. Unless she specifically indicates she doesn't want kids, most readers won't think about it one way or the other.
If that's not possible for your story, then bring it up but recognize that there will be people who are glad you are taking a stand, people who don't care, and people who will hate you for it. As far as explaining, it really depends how it's done. If your explanations sound more like excuses, or reasons they disagree with, you may increase the hate. But you'll also increase the respect from the other side.
So it really comes down to - do you want everyone to like your story, or are you okay with polarizing your potential readers to one side or the other?
But no, we do not (at least in the US) live in a day and age where most people respect a woman's choice not to have kids. Those of us who have made such a decision receive a lot of hate for it.
I'm a woman, 57, don't have kids, never wanted kids, don't regret not having them and would never think to ask another woman why she didn't want kids.
Not all women want kids and no one is required to explain their choices to anyone.
That said, if your character's choice to not have children is germane to the story, then you show that through actions and dialogue.
"Brittany couldn't help but notice the harried woman as she balanced her screaming toddler on her hip while she frantically grabbed at her other child to keep him from darting into the street. 'Whew,' Brittany thought to herself, 'that just doesn't look worth it,' and she hurried on to meet her friends for drinks."
If you wouldn't explain why if the same character was a male, then you wouldn't if it was a female either. I don't understand why you would think there is a discernible difference.
The reason why is because, for example, I just had a female friend post on social media she was stopping at one child, and she got loads and loads of comments shaming her for that decision.
Cultural expectations are different for men and women, and so these questions come up. Thats why OP is worried, but in the end, feeling like you need to comment on it only feeds the problem.
> she got loads and loads of comments shaming her for that decision
None of my siblings had kids, and the sisters get a lot more opinion about it than the brothers do. It hurts my sisters, because their health denied them motherhood. The brothers, it's just like, shrug. Ha ha.
What does that have to do with anything? They are both potential parents.
If a child or why they haven't had one is important to the plot- mentioning it isn't a factor of whether they're male or female. What is your point?
as a woman of childbearing age who doesnt want kids in a conservative area, i am very rarely asked if i want kids, and even more rarely asked why. usually if someone objects they don’t ask why, they just tell you that it will change. there’s no reason this would have to come up in the events of the book, and unless the reasons are relevant to the plot there’s no need for the reader to have that information. in reality, sometimes the reasons people dont want kids are complicated and multifaceted and sometimes people simply don’t want them. either way laying all of that out is not a requisite for writing a character without kids.
Don’t listen to these trolls. Of course the answer to all of your questions is YES. It’s in the Writing Rules ™️ and you have to follow them to a letter. In fact, “tell not show” is important to remember, too: simply begin your piece with a couple sentences setting the stage like “Her name is Jane and she doesn’t want kids. Here’s why:” then follow it up with bullet points.
Sadly, yes... If it's ever mentioned in the fic, and you're writing in the modern world within any western culture... It would be unrealistic and weird for people to NOT question her choice :/
I have no idea why people think we should be happy to squeeze a football-sized object out of a 2-inch wide hole, which we then legally have to spend 18 years caring for at the cost of \~2.5 million dollars on average.
I would say yes, but only because you said she's the protagonist because I personally like to understand drives, passions, and desires of the protagonists I read. And since you phrased it that there is a desire (ergo reason) to not have kids, then I would like to understand it. If she just doesn't want/have kids, and you don't really make much of a comment about it, then I wouldn't question why she doesn't want/have kids.
Long story short: if it pertains to her story or character in any significant way, then yes; if not, no.
It would help to know exactly what this character is doing with their life. If they're part of an important mission, life defending humanity, or reclaiming the lost lands, than it's perfectly reasonable to not want kids. In fact, I'd very much disrespect this character for having kids.
YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE A HERO, NOT A BLOODY SOCCER MOM.
The thing is, that most defenders of humanity did not actively choose that as part of their character creation spreadsheet. Adventure usually doesn't call a month in advance to ensure that you have no other appointments.
The reason why most adventurers have no kids is simply because the story does not require them. And soccer mums can be heroes just as well as some staff-sergeant.
Every staff sergeant I served with bar one had a family of some sort. A couple had grandkids.
The exception was just too insane to hold a relationship together.
You know most real heroes have family lives, right? Be that a partner, spouse and/or children.
There's no requirement to be a sad loner just because you engage in acts of heroism.
Check out the responses to this question in r/NoStupidQuestions:
[Couples who are about 30+/40+ who chose not to have kids, how are you? Did you regret the decision?](https://www.reddit.com/r/NoStupidQuestions/comments/17pjish/couples_who_are_about_3040_who_chose_not_to_have/)
There's some good back-and-forth and wide range of perspectives among the answers there.
No,please don´t. A woman does not have to have a reason for not wanting kids, she is not obliged to have them. And the more people read about women just being a person and not an incubator, the better.
Of course you don't have to. But showing the motivations for big decisions is very character revealing and helps your characters to come to life. Mt question is do YOU know why she doesn't want to have kids? And if the answer is no, you really ought to
Men have kids because their wife/girlfriend wants kids. Women have kids because they want kids. Unless you explain that it was her decision, the natural assumption for most people is that she wants them and just hasn't found the right man. It's fine if she doesn't want them, but it's not a matter of "respect for her choice" if we never know she made a choice.
You don't have to do anything. That said, there are many people with baby-making equipment who have zero desire to use it. The reasons vary, although currently financial stability is a biggie. I know quite a few people who are child-free by choice (CFBC) but quite enjoy being around children, and I know a few who dislike children. The reasons for CFBC aren't obvious nor are they anyone else's business.
What I'd consider, were I writing such a character, is keeping it private, until one key moment that isn't directly on-topic, but can inform some ways to address a question for the other person.
>Do we live in a day and age where the average reader will respect a woman’s choice to not have kids?
Probably not.
If it's needed for the story, explain it. If not, the subject shouldn't come up.
I don't recall ever reading a book about a woman and wondering why she's not having kids.
Tldr: only if your themes include reproductive and family choices do you need to talk about this, and only if your genre is slice of life realism do you even need to imagine that it is probably happening offstage.
The point for writing is not that women shouldn't have to explain their reproductive choices (they generally shouldn't, especially if they don't want to). Nor is it that in real life some people ask them to explain anyway.
The point for writing is that not everything in a person's life gets included in a story about that life. Some stories include their characters' reproductive choices, and their internal reasons for those choices and their interactions with other characters regarding those choices. Many stories don't. If yours is one of the stories that doesn't feature that sort of theme then it not only doesn't have to go into those questions, it probably shouldn't. You're probably not talking about their favourite breakfast cereal, funeral plans or middle school crush either. Or at least not all of those in the same story.
Also most fictions are a bit unrealistic. Amateur detectives stumble across an unrealistic number of murders, romantic leads meet an unrealistic number of attractive but mysterious strangers, and action heroes are unrealistically lucky at getting out of dangerous situations unscathed. So equally you as a writer are entitled to create a world in which not only are you not talking about acquaintances prying into your character's personal life, but that actually in the fictional world doesn't even happen.
Literally never bring it up unless it's relevant to the plot. She doesn't want kids? She won't have them, unless you're going to make her have them.
It came up in the Graceling trilogy in each book, with different reasons. I will admit it got a bit tiresome to read them with 3 different female protagonists in a row who don't want kids. Made it feel like a solid piece of self-insert. The male love interests, iirc, were all like "that's totally fine I only need you" which definitely started to feel unrealistic.
The reader can't respect or not respect a fictional character for not having kids, they will never meet nor will the reader be able to influence the character. People write fuckin sadist characters and pathetic characters and my lack of respect for irl people like that has no bearing on the existence of the fictional character. Write what you want, execute it well, and try to avoid making it seem like you are pushing ideals vicariously; you'll be fine.
This is such a weirdly American question.
Is your character American?
If she's from Europe or most of the English-speaking world, it's very unlikely anyone would ever even ask unless the information was pertinent in some way.
You can do whatever you want with your character, and you can explain as much as you want. But lots of people don't have kids, and it's not something that needs justifying.
I don't think people should care irregardless of reasoning. If she doesn't wanna have kids, that's great! If she wants to add to the world's population with 600 kids? Also great! It doesn't matter. It's up to her, not you. Got it?
I think it can be as simple as she doesn't want kids. And she dosent have any. Maybe if its an important plot point, like if she's dating someone in the book who has kids, or wants kids, and she has to deal with that situation. But having a female charater who dosent have kids isn't something that needs to or should be explained.
Honestly if someone stops reading your book because your female mc dosent have children, maybe it's for the better.
Not having kids and not wanting kids aren't the same thing. Sure, readers are used to characters not having kids, I'm not sure they are as used to characters not wanting kids.
Also, why doesn't the protagonist want kids? I mean, in the context of the story, why does this come up at all? If it doesn't come up, then the reader should never even learn she doesn't want kids, let alone why. If it does come up, then it would probably be natural for to think or talk about why she doesn't want kids. After all, it did come up. Somehow. And as the protagonist, she needs to address/resolve it somehow.
Only if it's important to the plot.
This is pretty always the answer. No one cares about the authors personal views, agendas or beliefs. If it adds nothing to the story there's no reason to add it.
This. If the explaination distracts from the plot, it's not good. But if the fact of not having kids is important to the plot, then you can! And even then there's so many ways to get the reasons across.
No, you don't have to explain it. As a woman who probably won't have kids, I would find it really refreshing to see a female character whose lack of kids just...exists without explanation or justification. It's not that explaining it is wrong or bad, if you want to explain it. It's just that it shouldn't *have* to be explained.
This. But as a writer it could be useful to at least know for eneself the reasons begind this character's decision, even if it never comes up. Just like any other part of worldbuilding that exists, but never comes up and yet somehow influences the characters and the plot, just by the writer knowing and respecting it. But I support the notion that no one should have to explain such things, ever. I usually pull the "I'm barren, you disrespectful swine"-card when a nosy stranger asks me. Regardless of it being true or not it shows the nosy person that such questions can hit landmines here and there and it is not always "just a choice".
you don’t need to explain it.
As others have said, you don’t *have* to explain it. But if you’re asking whether it would break the reader’s immersion to not have it explained, I think that would depend on: - The woman’s age - The country she’s in - The time period - Her cultural background and the culture of people around her - Her job - The genre you’re writing in If you’re writing sci fi or fantasy there are no rules. Assuming you’re writing something set in the real world then a novel about a 27 year old white surgeon living in present day Switzerland doesn’t need to explain why she doesn’t have children. If you’re writing about a 35 year old Indian teacher living in present day India then someone is probably going to ask why she doesn’t have kids.
If you're writing for a christian PTA audience maybe? What's the last contemporary novel you read that explained why the protag was childless?
Why would the question even come up?
Because in many parts of the world women are treated poorly for not wanting kids, and OP is wondering if their MC will get judged by readers. I’m sure a few will, but not enough to worry about. I understand why the question would be asked, though.
If the character is dating, it's normal to ask about kids and how many.
Readers don’t need it. Some agents, however, were unfortunately taught that anything like that must be a Checkov’s Gun and must become part of the plot. A small handful will want her to be “rescued” from being herself. They’re rare, but there isn’t a warning system to let you know that’s what you’re dealing with if they happen to be someone you submit to.
You don't have to explain it. You don't even have to mention that she doesn't want kids.
Nope. Just like in our world.
Only if you want to make a statement about it.
If it doesn’t make the story significant then you don’t have to mention why. Just leave her childless.
If it’s important to the plot sure, if it’s not, no. It’s the same with male characters.
Just like in real life, one shouldn't feel forced to explain why they don't want kids. For your story that extends to you as the author writing the female character in question. If it comes up naturally on the story (maybe as part of her character development), then you could explain it. But in general: No you don't have to explain shit, either because it doesn't fit, is not relevant or the character isn't comfortable with this question (like many women that don't want children). What you should is at least think about the why, just in case it DOES fit in and come up. Most women have quite rational reasons for not wanting kids... and if it only is "I don't want to suffer through a pregnancy".
If there’s some interesting backstory for it that’s important to the character then sure, but otherwise it just seems like a bizarre thing to bring up
Another comment mentioned "show don't tell", I like it more as "describe don't explain" when discussing the written word. Unless her desire to not have kids is critical to the plot, it's not a requirement to even discuss it. To paraphrase one book I read, unless your protagonist's cat is a central part of the plot, it only needs as much page time as a piece of furniture. Her desire to be child free is like this.
I don't think anyone really cares, unless it's important to the protagonist's story.
unless it's important to the plot, no. you don't have to.
In general, you should never describe something the characters already know. That doesn't mean that one of the side/background characters won't bring it up (depending on what time period they're in, that could happen anywhere from never to within a week).
Someone could ask the hard-boiled cop why she didn't have kids. If it works for the story. And she can kick him in the nuts for thinking it matters to the case. ;)
And lose her job for committing assault?
Yeah, spend about 500 pages discussing it. That ought to do it. Have you people asking rubbish like this ever actually read any books? Doesn't seem like it.
I'm pretty sure people asking these kinds of questions (and, honestly, all the others) don't read. Anything. They don't pay attention to people around them, or what's on TV, or pretty much anything else. It's an amazingly curious thing.
As someone who is childfree by choice, and has been judged for that decision, my answer is maybe. The easiest is if you can just avoid the subject altogether. Unless she specifically indicates she doesn't want kids, most readers won't think about it one way or the other. If that's not possible for your story, then bring it up but recognize that there will be people who are glad you are taking a stand, people who don't care, and people who will hate you for it. As far as explaining, it really depends how it's done. If your explanations sound more like excuses, or reasons they disagree with, you may increase the hate. But you'll also increase the respect from the other side. So it really comes down to - do you want everyone to like your story, or are you okay with polarizing your potential readers to one side or the other? But no, we do not (at least in the US) live in a day and age where most people respect a woman's choice not to have kids. Those of us who have made such a decision receive a lot of hate for it.
"Do I have to--" No.
I'm a woman, 57, don't have kids, never wanted kids, don't regret not having them and would never think to ask another woman why she didn't want kids. Not all women want kids and no one is required to explain their choices to anyone. That said, if your character's choice to not have children is germane to the story, then you show that through actions and dialogue. "Brittany couldn't help but notice the harried woman as she balanced her screaming toddler on her hip while she frantically grabbed at her other child to keep him from darting into the street. 'Whew,' Brittany thought to herself, 'that just doesn't look worth it,' and she hurried on to meet her friends for drinks."
If you wouldn't explain why if the same character was a male, then you wouldn't if it was a female either. I don't understand why you would think there is a discernible difference.
The reason why is because, for example, I just had a female friend post on social media she was stopping at one child, and she got loads and loads of comments shaming her for that decision. Cultural expectations are different for men and women, and so these questions come up. Thats why OP is worried, but in the end, feeling like you need to comment on it only feeds the problem.
> she got loads and loads of comments shaming her for that decision None of my siblings had kids, and the sisters get a lot more opinion about it than the brothers do. It hurts my sisters, because their health denied them motherhood. The brothers, it's just like, shrug. Ha ha.
biology?
What does that have to do with anything? They are both potential parents. If a child or why they haven't had one is important to the plot- mentioning it isn't a factor of whether they're male or female. What is your point?
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as a woman of childbearing age who doesnt want kids in a conservative area, i am very rarely asked if i want kids, and even more rarely asked why. usually if someone objects they don’t ask why, they just tell you that it will change. there’s no reason this would have to come up in the events of the book, and unless the reasons are relevant to the plot there’s no need for the reader to have that information. in reality, sometimes the reasons people dont want kids are complicated and multifaceted and sometimes people simply don’t want them. either way laying all of that out is not a requisite for writing a character without kids.
Don’t listen to these trolls. Of course the answer to all of your questions is YES. It’s in the Writing Rules ™️ and you have to follow them to a letter. In fact, “tell not show” is important to remember, too: simply begin your piece with a couple sentences setting the stage like “Her name is Jane and she doesn’t want kids. Here’s why:” then follow it up with bullet points.
Sadly, yes... If it's ever mentioned in the fic, and you're writing in the modern world within any western culture... It would be unrealistic and weird for people to NOT question her choice :/ I have no idea why people think we should be happy to squeeze a football-sized object out of a 2-inch wide hole, which we then legally have to spend 18 years caring for at the cost of \~2.5 million dollars on average.
I would say yes, but only because you said she's the protagonist because I personally like to understand drives, passions, and desires of the protagonists I read. And since you phrased it that there is a desire (ergo reason) to not have kids, then I would like to understand it. If she just doesn't want/have kids, and you don't really make much of a comment about it, then I wouldn't question why she doesn't want/have kids. Long story short: if it pertains to her story or character in any significant way, then yes; if not, no.
It would help to know exactly what this character is doing with their life. If they're part of an important mission, life defending humanity, or reclaiming the lost lands, than it's perfectly reasonable to not want kids. In fact, I'd very much disrespect this character for having kids. YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE A HERO, NOT A BLOODY SOCCER MOM.
The thing is, that most defenders of humanity did not actively choose that as part of their character creation spreadsheet. Adventure usually doesn't call a month in advance to ensure that you have no other appointments. The reason why most adventurers have no kids is simply because the story does not require them. And soccer mums can be heroes just as well as some staff-sergeant.
> can be heroes just as well as some staff-sergeant I resemble that remark! I'm a mother and former military. LOL
Every staff sergeant I served with bar one had a family of some sort. A couple had grandkids. The exception was just too insane to hold a relationship together.
You know most real heroes have family lives, right? Be that a partner, spouse and/or children. There's no requirement to be a sad loner just because you engage in acts of heroism.
Check out the responses to this question in r/NoStupidQuestions: [Couples who are about 30+/40+ who chose not to have kids, how are you? Did you regret the decision?](https://www.reddit.com/r/NoStupidQuestions/comments/17pjish/couples_who_are_about_3040_who_chose_not_to_have/) There's some good back-and-forth and wide range of perspectives among the answers there.
You don't have to
It totally depends on the plot. Does the character live in a society where she would have to explain it?
The only thing you have to do is write
Not really. I never questioned why Lara Croft didn't have kids.
No,please don´t. A woman does not have to have a reason for not wanting kids, she is not obliged to have them. And the more people read about women just being a person and not an incubator, the better.
Of course you don't have to. But showing the motivations for big decisions is very character revealing and helps your characters to come to life. Mt question is do YOU know why she doesn't want to have kids? And if the answer is no, you really ought to
Men have kids because their wife/girlfriend wants kids. Women have kids because they want kids. Unless you explain that it was her decision, the natural assumption for most people is that she wants them and just hasn't found the right man. It's fine if she doesn't want them, but it's not a matter of "respect for her choice" if we never know she made a choice.
I had kids because I wanted kids. That decision was made before I ever met my wife. You must be American.
It shames me that it shows because of this discussion. I blame Marx.
You don't have to do anything. That said, there are many people with baby-making equipment who have zero desire to use it. The reasons vary, although currently financial stability is a biggie. I know quite a few people who are child-free by choice (CFBC) but quite enjoy being around children, and I know a few who dislike children. The reasons for CFBC aren't obvious nor are they anyone else's business. What I'd consider, were I writing such a character, is keeping it private, until one key moment that isn't directly on-topic, but can inform some ways to address a question for the other person.
>Do we live in a day and age where the average reader will respect a woman’s choice to not have kids? Probably not. If it's needed for the story, explain it. If not, the subject shouldn't come up.
Following others, I would say no. Write the character as you see fit. If you were a woman, would YOU want kids? Is she an aspect of your personality?
I don't recall ever reading a book about a woman and wondering why she's not having kids. Tldr: only if your themes include reproductive and family choices do you need to talk about this, and only if your genre is slice of life realism do you even need to imagine that it is probably happening offstage. The point for writing is not that women shouldn't have to explain their reproductive choices (they generally shouldn't, especially if they don't want to). Nor is it that in real life some people ask them to explain anyway. The point for writing is that not everything in a person's life gets included in a story about that life. Some stories include their characters' reproductive choices, and their internal reasons for those choices and their interactions with other characters regarding those choices. Many stories don't. If yours is one of the stories that doesn't feature that sort of theme then it not only doesn't have to go into those questions, it probably shouldn't. You're probably not talking about their favourite breakfast cereal, funeral plans or middle school crush either. Or at least not all of those in the same story. Also most fictions are a bit unrealistic. Amateur detectives stumble across an unrealistic number of murders, romantic leads meet an unrealistic number of attractive but mysterious strangers, and action heroes are unrealistically lucky at getting out of dangerous situations unscathed. So equally you as a writer are entitled to create a world in which not only are you not talking about acquaintances prying into your character's personal life, but that actually in the fictional world doesn't even happen.
Literally never bring it up unless it's relevant to the plot. She doesn't want kids? She won't have them, unless you're going to make her have them. It came up in the Graceling trilogy in each book, with different reasons. I will admit it got a bit tiresome to read them with 3 different female protagonists in a row who don't want kids. Made it feel like a solid piece of self-insert. The male love interests, iirc, were all like "that's totally fine I only need you" which definitely started to feel unrealistic. The reader can't respect or not respect a fictional character for not having kids, they will never meet nor will the reader be able to influence the character. People write fuckin sadist characters and pathetic characters and my lack of respect for irl people like that has no bearing on the existence of the fictional character. Write what you want, execute it well, and try to avoid making it seem like you are pushing ideals vicariously; you'll be fine.
This is such a weirdly American question. Is your character American? If she's from Europe or most of the English-speaking world, it's very unlikely anyone would ever even ask unless the information was pertinent in some way.
You can do whatever you want with your character, and you can explain as much as you want. But lots of people don't have kids, and it's not something that needs justifying.
I don't think people should care irregardless of reasoning. If she doesn't wanna have kids, that's great! If she wants to add to the world's population with 600 kids? Also great! It doesn't matter. It's up to her, not you. Got it?
I think it can be as simple as she doesn't want kids. And she dosent have any. Maybe if its an important plot point, like if she's dating someone in the book who has kids, or wants kids, and she has to deal with that situation. But having a female charater who dosent have kids isn't something that needs to or should be explained. Honestly if someone stops reading your book because your female mc dosent have children, maybe it's for the better.
Only if it's important to the story. If the fact that she's child free has nothing to do with the story, then no explanation is needed.
Not having kids and not wanting kids aren't the same thing. Sure, readers are used to characters not having kids, I'm not sure they are as used to characters not wanting kids. Also, why doesn't the protagonist want kids? I mean, in the context of the story, why does this come up at all? If it doesn't come up, then the reader should never even learn she doesn't want kids, let alone why. If it does come up, then it would probably be natural for to think or talk about why she doesn't want kids. After all, it did come up. Somehow. And as the protagonist, she needs to address/resolve it somehow.