Recently, amid global struggles with low birthrates, a controversial bill has been proposed in Russia as part of its measures to address the issue. The bill aims to ban public advocacy for a child-free life and regulate media content, including films, documentaries, and advertisements, promoting life without children.
On September 25, Russian media outlet TASS reported that Vyacheslav Volodin, the Speaker of the State Duma, and Valentina Matviyenko, Chairwoman of the Federation Council, submitted this bill to the State Duma (lower house of parliament).
This proposal’s intent appears to regulate content that portrays a childless life as more free and appealing. The draft includes fines of up to approximately 400,000 rubles ($4,300), 800,000 rubles ($8,600), and 5,000,000 rubles ($54,000) for violations by individuals, public officials, and corporations.
The lawmakers behind the bill argued that the spread of positive views on a child-free lifestyle poses a threat to birthrates, which they claim contributes to the decline of traditional values and exacerbates population decline.
If the bill passes, films featuring protagonists opposed to childbirth would face distribution bans and legal penalties.
When the draft surfaced on Telegram channels, reactions among Russian citizens varied. Supporters of Volodin’s bill welcomed it, attributing the rise of childless lifestyles to Western cultural influences. However, others argued that having children should remain a personal choice, not a matter for state legislation.
There are growing voices advocating for creating adequate living conditions as a more effective solution to the low birth rate issue rather than supporting the bill. Russia’s push for such a controversial law likely stems from a significant drop in birth rates. As of July, Russia recorded a total fertility rate of 1.4.
Experts predict that the population, currently around 140 million, could fall to about 130 million by 2050. In the first half of this year, only 600,000 babies were born in Russia, marking a 3% decrease compared to the same period last year, the largest decline since the 1990s.
In light of these circumstances, President Vladimir Putin reportedly urged women to have more children during a public address on September 18. During a Eurasian Women’s Forum speech, he emphasized, “Our grandmothers typically had 7 to 8 children or even more. Let’s revive this wonderful tradition.”
Earlier, on September 13, Russia’s Minister of Health stirred controversy by suggesting that people should use their work breaks for sexual intercourse as a solution to low birth rates. Yevgeny Shestopalov, the health minister for the Primorsky Krai region, told local media, “Being very busy at work is not a valid reason, but a lame excuse,” he said. “You can engage in procreation during breaks because life flies by too quickly.”
When a reporter countered that some people worked 12 to 14 hours a day and asked when they would have time to conceive, he absurdly replied, “During break times.”
Meanwhile, in Moscow, women between the ages of 18 and 40 have reportedly been asked to undergo free fertility assessments. Regional governors must also report on birthrate improvements, and employers are encouraged to promote childbirth among female employees.
In one Russian town, women under 24 are offered about $11,300 as an incentive to have their first child, highlighting the extreme measures Russia is taking to address its declining population.
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