Russias fight against the West and its values has taken aim this week at an ideology that the Kremlin and its allies say threatens the countrys very foundations: people not wanting to have children.
Lawmakers have proposed a ban on propaganda of conscious refusal to bear children, Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of the lower house of parliament and an ally of President Vladimir Putin, said in a post on Telegram on Tuesday.
It is the latest effort by authorities to combat the demographic strain of falling birth rates, exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, which the Kremlin says could threaten the countrys long-term outlook. In July, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called Russias d eclining birth rate catastrophic for the future of the nation.
The issues at the heart of it are not limited to Russia indeed they have emerged as flashpoints in the U.S. presidential election but the move this week is just the latest step in a Kremlin campaign to promote what it casts as traditional values as it reshapes Russian society around Putins war and embraces an existential clash with the United States and allies.
The bill would tackle what Volodin said was the promotion of the ideology of childlessness and the childfree movement on the internet, in the media, in movies and even in advertisements, citing what he said where frequent online displays of disrespect for motherhood and fatherhood, aggression toward pregnant women and children, and members of large families.
It will come with heavy fines, he said, of up to $4,300 for individuals and more than $53,000 for legal entities. A close-knit and large family is the basis of a strong state, Volodin added.
Its not clear how exactly this legislation would be enforced if enacted, and what exactly would constitute a violation, but it comes amid an already unprecedented crackdown on dissent more than 2 1/2 years into Russias full-scale invasion of its neighbor.
The bill was formally introduced in the State Duma, Russias lower house of parliament, on Wednesday, possibly signaling the Kremlins intention to move quickly on it. But not everyone is convinced its a good idea.
I view this bill extremely negatively from all points of view, as a lawyer, as a feminist and as a woman, said Dariana Gryaznova, a Russian lawyer and expert in womens rights who currently lives abroad. Bills like these are essentially directed at curbing the freedom of speech, womens reproductive rights and their freedom to choose.
Olga, an English teacher in Moscow, told NBC News she does not plan to have children, but is also not rejecting that possibility outright.
Olga, who did not want to give her last name for privacy reasons, said the proposed bill doesnt change her plans. Still, it makes her feel anxiety and slight indignation, she said.
Its obvious they are trying to fix the birth rate by all means possible, and thats what causes a lot of worries, because it will be harder for a woman to make her choices, Olga, 39, added. In this respect, this is nothing new for Russian women unfortunately.
The proposed legislation carries echoes of the Russian Supreme Courts ban on the so-called international LGBTQ+ movement in late 2023, which raised the risk of arrests and prosecutions for the already embattled LGBTQ+ community in the country.
Funny how the two authoritarian superpower allies had the exact opposite policies for policing having children.
Starting on January 1, 2016, all Chinese couples are allowed to have two children .
The one-child policy (Chinese: ; pinyin: y hi zhngc ) was a population planning initiative in China implemented between 1979 and 2015 to curb the country's population growth by restricting many families to a single child. The program had wide-ranging social, cultural, economic, and demographic effects, although the contribution of one-child restrictions to the broader program has been the subject of controversy.[1] Its efficacy in reducing birth rates and defensibility from a human rights perspective have been subjects of controversy.[2]
Huh, had no idea this was such a thing in Russia.
No wonder all the righties here push the fuck out of it as well.
also breeders like Elon want thisKamalas child tax credit is one of the biggest things she started pushing and is widely approved of
so not only do we have far right people vying for power in the government, but stupid billionaires like Elon are pushing for this and support them
This is absolutely something the right in the US would push given the opportunity.It is where they get there marching orders so im sure your right.
Kamalas child tax credit is one of the biggest things she started pushing and is widely approved of
There is a HUGE difference between "forcing people to have babies or else they have to pay a massive fine" and "If you feel like having children, we will cover a portion of your costs for raising those children by easing your tax burden a little bit".did you read the topic?
One actively punishes people for not living a certain way, one attempts to elevate people to a position where they won't end up crippled for wanting to have kids.
Kamalas child tax credit is one of the biggest things she started pushing and is widely approved ofTag checks out
Russia needs more future dead soldiers.
Tag checks outChrists sake, I hate russia, but every part of this topic is literally wrong, dont you ever want to know what is actually going on?
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/3/3c579486.jpg
Wouldn't it be easier to, I don't know, stop sending people into an imperial war to die?
Tag checks out
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/3/3c579486.jpg
Huh, had no idea this was such a thing in Russia.
No wonder all the righties here push the fuck out of it as well.
did you read the topic?
try starting at the beginning