Russia’s lower house of parliament has taken a step towards approving a bill that would outlaw ‘propaganda’ discouraging people from having children. If passed, the legislation would criminalize the spread of information advocating voluntary childlessness, with fines of up to five million roubles. Supporters of the bill argue that arguments against having children are part of Western efforts to weaken Russia by encouraging population decline.
President Vladimir Putin has been vocal about protecting traditional values and promoting large families in the face of declining population numbers. Putin recently called the West “satanic” and accused it of trying to undermine Russia by promoting liberal ideologies. The bill is seen as a way to combat what some lawmakers view as a hybrid war aimed at reducing the population of Russia.
However, the bill has received mixed reactions from the Russian population. Some believe that discouraging childlessness is necessary to combat what they see as a societal pathology, while women’s rights activists argue that the root cause of declining birth rates lies in economic factors rather than individual choices.
This bill is just the latest in a series of restrictive laws passed by the Russian government, including a ban on distributing LGBTQ information and prohibiting the adoption of Russian children by citizens of countries where gender transitioning is legal. As the bill moves through the legislative process, it remains to be seen how it will impact the Russian population and society as a whole.
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