Russia Implements Policies โคto boost Birth Rates, Facesโ Criticism
Teh Kremlin is implementing a series of measures aimed at increasing Russia’s birth rate, sparking debate and criticism fromโข within the country. These policies include expanded financial support forโข pregnant schoolgirls in some regions, โฃa ban on “propaganda” promoting a childless lifestyle, and efforts to discourage abortions.
Theโข government hasโข introduced financial incentives, but criticsโ argue these are insufficient and fail to address underlying economic concerns. According to โฃa Moscowโ demographic expert, a moreโค effective approachโ woudl beโข “large financial stimuli for second โand third children,” noting โฃRussia’s current budget for children is only 1.4% of GDP, compared to 3.5% in France.
Aโ new law โprohibits the promotion of a “childless lifestyle” across television, films, textbooks, advertising, social networking, and websites, carrying a fine of โขupโ to 400,000 rubles for violations. โVyacheslav Volodin, chairman of the Duma, stated the ban โis “vital to โขprotect people, especially the young generation, โขfrom the ideology ofโ childlessness, which โฃis forced โฃon the Internet, in theโ media, in movies and in advertising.”
Concurrently, the Ministry of Health inโ 2023 issued instructions advising doctors on how to discourage women from seeking abortions, โฃdespite Russiaโค maintaining some of the most liberal abortion laws globally.
However, โขthe policiesโฃ are facing resistance. Tatur Dima of St. Petersburg commented, “Patriotismโค does not โฃhelp people to start a โฃlarge family if they cannot afford itโฆmost โฃeducated people โฃunderstand โขthat this โisโ only a rapid financialโข assistance that will not โคhelpโ them โฃin the long term with a large family.” Julie, a twenty-five-year-old from Siberia,โค explained that women are increasingly prioritizing careersโข over early โขmotherhood, a shift from the pressures faced by older generationsโ in the Soviet era.
Experts suggest the Kremlin’s policies are โฃhampered by conflicting priorities. Jenny Mathers, an associate professor of international policy at โขaberystwyth University in Wales, โpoints out the war has โcreated aโฃ labor shortage, necessitating women’s participation โคin the workforce.
