Proposed legislation in Russia to prosecute those deemed to be promoting a “child free” lifestyle has sparked an angry response online.
Russian opposition figure and rights defender Nikolai Kavkazsky told Newsweek that the proposed move is part of a Kremlin plan “to ban everything that does not fit into its so-called traditional values.”
Russia is facing a demographic crisis which President Vladimir Putin has tried to address with national policies encouraging child birth. He told the Eurasian Women’s Forum how women should be encouraged to succeed professionally “while remaining guardians of the hearth and lynchpins of large families.”
Figures this month showed Russia’s birthrate had dropped to its lowest level for a quarter of a century and the dwindling population has been exacerbated since the start of the war in Ukraine due to its casualties and those fleeing the draft.
In part of this drive to increase birthrates, Vyacheslav Volodin, the chairman of the State Duma, has said lawmakers are looking at banning what he called propaganda that encourages “a conscious refusal to have children.”
Russia’s parliament is proposing legislation which would ban what it sees as the promotion of a “child-free lifestyle.” It comes as Russia faces a demographic crisis.
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Volodin said that groups and communities on social networks “often show disrespect for motherhood and fatherhood” and that the “child-free movement” devalues the institution of family, which is the “basis of a strong state.”
State news agency TASS said that the bill, which was proposed by State Duma deputy Elvira Aitkulova, will be introduced to Russia’s lower house on Wednesday and aims “to preserve and strengthen Russian spiritual and moral values.”
In a Telegram post, Aitkulova said last week that it had the backing of different parliamentary factions and “now we are developing a unified position with the government.”
The review added, however, that the bill should clarify the concept of “refusing to bear a child” to take into account people refusing to have children due to their religious beliefs, for medical reasons, or as a result of rape, state news agency RIA Novosti reported.
Kavkazsky told Newsweek there had been a reluctance at such a move because it might impact the way of life for priests in the Russian Orthodox Church, headed by Patriarch Kirill, who is a Putin ally and has justified the war in Ukraine.
“The authorities have long wanted to ban talking about child-free, talking about the right to choose when it comes to whether to have children or not,” Kavkazsky said. “They did not ban it before, because there was a problem with monasticism, which could also fall under this ban, but now they intend to somehow get around it.”
“In general, the authorities adopt many repressive laws against vulnerable groups, I think that polyamorous people may be next in line,” he added.
“For there to be fewer such bans, people need to start getting involved in political activity, unfortunately, many do not understand this.”
The draft bill proposes fines of up to 400,000 roubles ($4,300) for people convicted of pushing “child-free” propaganda, 800,000-rouble ($8,602) fines for state officials, and 5 million roubles ($53,763) for companies.
Social media users criticized the proposals as a sinister interference by the state into the private lives of Russians, comparing them to penalties for promoting what are deemed “non-traditional” sexual relations and gender reassignment, which were seen as a crackdown on the LGBTQ community.
The opposition politician Nikolai Lyaskin referenced the dystopian novel by Margaret Atwood made into a TV series with an X post that said, “punishment for childfree propaganda. The Handmaid’s Tale is getting closer and closer.”
X user Child of Loki wrote, “and in a month, they will introduce a tax on childlessness, and after that, they will start putting us in jail, because by our very existence, we are promoting a life without children.”
Darya Serenko wrote on Facebook, “what’s next? Tax on Infertility? Jail for infertility?” adding, “a woman owes nothing to the state.”
Meanwhile, political scientist Vadim Shumilin posted on Telegram, “Every multinational Russian still has the right to choose in such personal matters, but no longer has the right to justify their choice publicly.”
Newsweek has contacted the Russian Duma for comment.
