Sawt Falasteen - Russian MPs back ban on 'propaganda' of childless lifestyles

Facing an ageing population and low birth rates, Moscow is seeking to reverse a demographic slump -- accentuated by its military offensive on Ukraine -- that threatens its economic future.

Lawmakers unanimously backed draft legislation to ban "propaganda" advocating the "rejection of childbearing".

Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin urged them to support it. "Today there is a war on the ideological front," he argued.

The proposed legislation would apply to public materials, whether online, in media, advertising and in films.

Violations would be punishable by fines up to 400,000 rubles ($4,020) on individuals to five million rubles for businesses. The bill also includes a provision to deport foreigners.

This would amend existing legislation that already bans any information seen as encouraging LGBTQ relationships or changing gender.

"We propose cutting off information threats," one of the bill's authors, Elvira Aitkulova told MPs, introducing herself as a mother and grandmother.

More than 22 percent of Russian couples do not have children, she said. "Manipulative technologies" were persuading Russians that "not having children is the norm", she added.

- A 'demographic crisis' -

The "strategic" legislation targets "openly destructive content" and online material with titles such as "10 reasons not to have children", she said.

"It is not about personal choice or lifestyle, it is precisely propaganda that comes under the ban."

More than a decade ago, Russia banned "propaganda" of LGBTQ relationships to minors, and extended this to adults in 2022.

This effectively outlawed any representation of LGBTQ people in public and in the media, part of a Kremlin crackdown on what it calls "non-traditional values".

President Vladimir Putin in a 2022 decree set a policy goal of "strengthening traditional Russian spiritual and moral values".

Oleg Nilov from the A Just Russia party told parliament the trend not to have children was "very dangerous for our country" when it is "in such a complex demographic crisis".

"This must be banned and stopped harshly and unfailingly" he said.

Speaker Volodin linked the phenomenon to the use of inclusive language and even unisex toilets in the US and Europe.

"What will the result be? Sodom and Gomorrah, we don't want that," he said.

"Every free country must defend itself."

One lawmaker, Sardana Avksentyeva, voiced some concern about the legislation, saying it raised the "risk of denunciations".

"People must be stimulated to create a family," she added.

- Falling birth rate -

The Kremlin has appeared to offer its backing to the bill.

"Everything that needs to be done to increase the birth rate must be done," its spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last month.

Russia recorded its lowest birth rate in 25 years in the first half of 2024.

Hundreds of thousands of young men have been called up to fight in Ukraine or fled abroad to avoid conscription.

In a bid to boost births, Putin has revived a Soviet tradition of awarding medals to parents of large families, who also get tax and welfare benefits.

Russian television has aired fear-mongering coverage of those who do not want children, linking this trend to the United States.

Around one in 15 Russian women aged 30-40 does not want children, Channel One reported last month, citing polls, but in Moscow it is one in five.

In a crackdown on "non-traditional" ideas since launching its Ukraine offensive in 2022, Russia last year banned what it called the "international LGBT movement".

K.Hassan--SF-PST