Russian lawmakers give initial approval to a bill targeting those who advocate not having children
NO TO ZPG
Associated Press
Thu, October 17, 2024
In this photo released by The State Duma, Lower House of the Russian Parliament Press Service, a view of a session of the State Duma, in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (The State Duma, Lower House of the Russian Parliament Press Service via AP)
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia's lower house of parliament on Thursday gave quick initial approval to a bill outlawing “propaganda” that discourages people from having children, the latest in a slew of restrictive laws as the Kremlin tightens control over the society amid the fighting in Ukraine.
The new legislation, which requires two more readings in the State Duma and the upper house's vetting before being sent to President Vladimir Putin for final approval, criminalizes spreading information that advocates voluntary childlessness and makes it punishable by fines of up to 5 million rubles ($50,000).
Measure proponents contend that public arguments against having children are part of purported Western efforts to weaken Russia by encouraging population decline.
“It's an element of professional propaganda, part of a hybrid war aimed at population reduction,” said Elvira Aitkulova, one of the bill's authors.
Aitkulova declared the bill is intended to “cleanse the information space from destructive content" and "create a favorable information environment for our families.”
“This is a strategic bill for the sake of a strong, productive and healthy future,” she said before lawmakers unanimously voted to tentatively approve the bill.
State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin described it as part of authorities' efforts to protect “traditional values.”
He dismissed warnings from the bill's critics that it would trample on freedom of expression, saying that “we are defending children, families and our values.”
Putin and his top officials in recent years have increasingly called for observing so-called “traditional values." As Russia’s population declines, Putin has made statements advocating large families and last year urged women to have as many as eight children.
Since he sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022, the Kremlin leader has repeatedly characterized the West as “satanic” and accused it of trying to undermine Russia by exporting liberal ideologies.
In 2022, Putin signed a law prohibiting the distribution of LGBTQ information to people of all ages, expanding a ban issued in 2013 on disseminating the material to minors.
And last year, the Russian Supreme Court outlawed the so-called “international LGBTQ movement” as extremist. Some Russians since then have been jailed for short periods or fined for displaying rainbow-themed material.
Last month, Russian lawmakers gave preliminary approval to a bill prohibiting the adoption of Russian children by citizens of countries where gender transitioning is legal.
Russian law against 'child-free propaganda' clears first hurdle in parliament
Mark Trevelyan
Updated Thu, October 17
Members of Russia's State Duma attend a plenary session in Moscow
By Mark Trevelyan
LONDON (Reuters) -Laws that would ban "propaganda" which discourages Russians from having children won overwhelming approval on Thursday in the first stage of their passage through parliament, part of a Kremlin drive to boost the country's flagging birth rate.
The move to outlaw content that is deemed to promote a child-free lifestyle won unanimous backing from members of the lower house, the Duma, in the first of three required readings.
"It is important to protect people, primarily the younger generation, from having the ideology of childlessness imposed on them on the internet, in the media, in movies, and in advertising," said Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, a powerful ally of President Vladimir Putin.
"We continue to form a unified legal framework for the protection of children, families, and traditional values."
Putin, who portrays Russia as a bastion of moral values locked in an existential struggle with a decadent West, has encouraged women to have at least three children to secure the demographic future of the country.
But critics of the new law see it as an alarming development.
"Women are being essentially turned into vessels for bearing children, not taking into account their circumstances, their motivations and whether they aspire to have a career or a family," said Olga Suvorova, a rights activist who works with victims of domestic violence in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk.
"The message is clear: give birth, and that's it," she said in a telephone interview, adding that she feared the bill could pave the way for further encroachments on women's rights including the ability to get an abortion.
BLEAK DEMOGRAPHICS
The demographic challenge has taken on greater urgency for the authorities after official data released last month showed that Russia's birth rate had slid to its lowest in a quarter of a century.
Meanwhile mortality rates are up, with no end in sight to Moscow's war in Ukraine. Official casualty numbers are secret, but a joint project by the BBC Russian service and independent news service Mediazona says it has confirmed the deaths of at least 72,899 Russian soldiers as of Oct. 10.
Deputy Duma speaker Anna Kuznetsova said earlier this month that the law was part of Russia's "national security strategy".
Authors of content that falls foul of the law will be subject to fines: up to 400,000 roubles ($4,125) for individuals, twice that amount for officials, and up to 5 million roubles ($51,550) for legal entities.
Volodin said the law is not about criminalising women who decide not to become mothers.
"The decision to have children or not is up to the woman.
Who she wants to consult about this is, again, up to her," he wrote on Telegram. "But there should be no propaganda that puts pressure on a woman when she takes a decision about having a child."
(Reporting by Mark TrevelyanEditing by Alexandra Hudson)
Associated Press
Thu, October 17, 2024
In this photo released by The State Duma, Lower House of the Russian Parliament Press Service, a view of a session of the State Duma, in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (The State Duma, Lower House of the Russian Parliament Press Service via AP)
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia's lower house of parliament on Thursday gave quick initial approval to a bill outlawing “propaganda” that discourages people from having children, the latest in a slew of restrictive laws as the Kremlin tightens control over the society amid the fighting in Ukraine.
The new legislation, which requires two more readings in the State Duma and the upper house's vetting before being sent to President Vladimir Putin for final approval, criminalizes spreading information that advocates voluntary childlessness and makes it punishable by fines of up to 5 million rubles ($50,000).
Measure proponents contend that public arguments against having children are part of purported Western efforts to weaken Russia by encouraging population decline.
“It's an element of professional propaganda, part of a hybrid war aimed at population reduction,” said Elvira Aitkulova, one of the bill's authors.
Aitkulova declared the bill is intended to “cleanse the information space from destructive content" and "create a favorable information environment for our families.”
“This is a strategic bill for the sake of a strong, productive and healthy future,” she said before lawmakers unanimously voted to tentatively approve the bill.
State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin described it as part of authorities' efforts to protect “traditional values.”
He dismissed warnings from the bill's critics that it would trample on freedom of expression, saying that “we are defending children, families and our values.”
Putin and his top officials in recent years have increasingly called for observing so-called “traditional values." As Russia’s population declines, Putin has made statements advocating large families and last year urged women to have as many as eight children.
Since he sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022, the Kremlin leader has repeatedly characterized the West as “satanic” and accused it of trying to undermine Russia by exporting liberal ideologies.
In 2022, Putin signed a law prohibiting the distribution of LGBTQ information to people of all ages, expanding a ban issued in 2013 on disseminating the material to minors.
And last year, the Russian Supreme Court outlawed the so-called “international LGBTQ movement” as extremist. Some Russians since then have been jailed for short periods or fined for displaying rainbow-themed material.
Last month, Russian lawmakers gave preliminary approval to a bill prohibiting the adoption of Russian children by citizens of countries where gender transitioning is legal.
Russian law against 'child-free propaganda' clears first hurdle in parliament
Mark Trevelyan
Updated Thu, October 17
Members of Russia's State Duma attend a plenary session in Moscow
By Mark Trevelyan
LONDON (Reuters) -Laws that would ban "propaganda" which discourages Russians from having children won overwhelming approval on Thursday in the first stage of their passage through parliament, part of a Kremlin drive to boost the country's flagging birth rate.
The move to outlaw content that is deemed to promote a child-free lifestyle won unanimous backing from members of the lower house, the Duma, in the first of three required readings.
"It is important to protect people, primarily the younger generation, from having the ideology of childlessness imposed on them on the internet, in the media, in movies, and in advertising," said Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, a powerful ally of President Vladimir Putin.
"We continue to form a unified legal framework for the protection of children, families, and traditional values."
Putin, who portrays Russia as a bastion of moral values locked in an existential struggle with a decadent West, has encouraged women to have at least three children to secure the demographic future of the country.
But critics of the new law see it as an alarming development.
"Women are being essentially turned into vessels for bearing children, not taking into account their circumstances, their motivations and whether they aspire to have a career or a family," said Olga Suvorova, a rights activist who works with victims of domestic violence in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk.
"The message is clear: give birth, and that's it," she said in a telephone interview, adding that she feared the bill could pave the way for further encroachments on women's rights including the ability to get an abortion.
BLEAK DEMOGRAPHICS
The demographic challenge has taken on greater urgency for the authorities after official data released last month showed that Russia's birth rate had slid to its lowest in a quarter of a century.
Meanwhile mortality rates are up, with no end in sight to Moscow's war in Ukraine. Official casualty numbers are secret, but a joint project by the BBC Russian service and independent news service Mediazona says it has confirmed the deaths of at least 72,899 Russian soldiers as of Oct. 10.
Deputy Duma speaker Anna Kuznetsova said earlier this month that the law was part of Russia's "national security strategy".
Authors of content that falls foul of the law will be subject to fines: up to 400,000 roubles ($4,125) for individuals, twice that amount for officials, and up to 5 million roubles ($51,550) for legal entities.
Volodin said the law is not about criminalising women who decide not to become mothers.
"The decision to have children or not is up to the woman.
Who she wants to consult about this is, again, up to her," he wrote on Telegram. "But there should be no propaganda that puts pressure on a woman when she takes a decision about having a child."
(Reporting by Mark TrevelyanEditing by Alexandra Hudson)
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